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October’s Fog

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One of the reasons I like October is because fog days start. I love the weather veil and how it feels on my skin. We were blessed with plenty of rain over the weekend, and with it some fog as well.

These lovelies are awaiting a snack. I find them adorable. Chatham will celebrate its Buzzard Festival soon. (Photo by M.A.D.)
From the Puglia region, Italy. (Photo by M.A.D.)

Speaking of celebrations, I came across this wine from the Puglia region in Italy. Sunrise Souls, the last book of The Dinorah Chronicles, takes place in this region, specifically in Rignano Garganico, a small town with medieval history that sits atop the Gargano promontory, as if reaching heaven, and with extensive views of the valley below. Part of the province of Foggia, it is known as the Balcony of Puglia. I was excited to come across it, of course. If interested in learning more about how I selected this region as the setting of Sunrise Souls, you can visit older posts here.

As Autumn starts to settle, a few flowers that made it through the extreme drought are left as a reminder of the past season’s beauty. (photo by M.A.D.)

Not a Debate, Nor a Battle

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Ever had a conversation with someone that becomes exhausting and it goes nowhere? Every word said needs to be analyzed or contested, if not enlightened by some not needed piece of information. By the end of the conversation, which one welcomes, there is this feeling of exhaustion and drainage. I have met many people like that, and it is very difficult to have a conversation with them because their focus is to debate anything and/or everything that is said. It is not a pleasant exchange, but futile, even when no attempt to re-establish a point is made.

Life is not a battle or debate. Instead, it is an interaction, an open exchange of ideas between people, whether explicit or not, through words and actions. There is no need to approach a conversation with our backs against a wall, ready to fire back. Unless it is an intended discussion were points and opinions are to be debated, there is no need to be defensive or pedagogical. I have seen people become easily agitated or stressed out in normal circumstances, and part of it is their approach at viewing existence as a constant battle, where every social exchange has to be a debate; a battle against what?

People are different (thank God), have different ideas, ways to approach living, and they come from different backgrounds/cultures. One culture does not define planet Earth; all are part of the beautiful human race. We seem to miss that point. It may sound pollyannaish, but life is not meant to be a constant battle or war of the words. The old advice of “let’s agree to disagree” alludes to this type of interaction, and maybe one more appropriate would be to “live and let live,” as the song says. All in the right context.

Writing characters in depth, may sometimes, become exhausting, and many times, reading them as well. It depends on the context and also on how well the writer has experienced/observed the emotions attached to these characters. I don’t think a character should ever be rushed. I think as writers, we should play with them a bit and see what they are all about before we commit to write them. Others, write themselves.

Evil

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Evil is a theme in my novels, but it is viewed in a supernatural way, not so much as a real condition, such as in a crime novel. Unless you are a victim of evil personified, most people think of it as something remote; it exists, might be supernatural or not, depending on your spiritual beliefs, and it manifests through human behavior. Since I can remember, I have always considered the supernatural side of evil to be real, but also, I was raised by a religious and devoted catholic grandmother, one who would tell me stories of old, ingrained in an ancient culture, stories of witches and demons, and supernatural beings that happened in the past. Lore or not? It doesn’t matter, but it did permeate into my novels. It probably shaped my views and interest in the topic, but also, fueled my curiosity; so much, that once, I dared asked a priest if he believed that evil was real. He answered something generic, that evil was in this world … I interrupted him and rephrased the question: “Do you believe that the Devil is real, that demons exist?” He looked at me a bit surprised, but calmly he said, “Yes, it is real.” I asked, “Why doesn’t the church tell people the truth?” His answer resonates in my memory until this day. He said, “Because most people would not be able to handle the truth.” I understood and I did not keep pressing him on the topic. I never asked again, but I always remember the answer.

More than three decades have gone by, which takes me back to my novels and the theme of good vs. evil in the supernatural sense. The current novel I was writing (and I say was writing because I stepped away from it for a while) does not follow the same lines, as far as this theme goes, although it has a bit of a supernatural flair mixed in more with the human condition. I asked myself the other day, did I step away from my “niche,” did I abandon my personal quest? Is this why the current novel seems so challenging or is there something more to it? I am not forcing the writing of this novel, but I know one hundred percent that I have to write the story, however the flow of it is very different, but I know that I am the one causing it. There are a few stories that are waiting to be written, all of them calling me at once, however, I know that until I conquer this one, in mind and soul, I will not be able to tend to the next one. Now, it is personal.

Spooky Excerpt

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It is October and spooky is everywhere, so I decided to share an excerpt from Sunrise Souls, last book in The Dinorah Chronicles trilogy. It is found on page 66.

… but this time I saw the evil energy that embodied her soul gazing through her eyes. A blaze of fire danced in her eyes with the fury of an unholy cadence. I jumped and delivered a lethal kick to her chest as she came charging with the force of a raging bull. We met in mid-air as she fell back foaming in hate, her mouth spouting a poisonous river of filth.

You can find SUNRISE SOULS on Amazon or order it where books are sold.

Family Greed

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As a writer, I like to explore all kinds of topics for future works. Greed is a common theme found in many novels. Family greed reaches another level and depth. I once heard someone say that money reveals what is already in your heart and amplifies who you already are. I think that is true. I have seen families “change” once there is an inheritance pending. People will do many unexpected things for money; however, this behavior is not created by money, only revealed. Whether backstabbing, stealing, lies, and even murder, it all originates from a greedy heart. The generous and kind person will continue to be such and able to bless others in new ways.

Family dynamics are complex by nature. There are no perfect families, but family greed revealed by money will change the most “perfect” of families, and once someone’s true character has been revealed it is hard to see them in another light. As writers, when approaching the topic of family greed, we might consider all the layers and choose to unravel many via different characters or focus on just one being amplified by one character. Family greed is a very deep and interesting topic with great possibility.

Certainly, no greed here. He first took her to eat at the birdfeeder, and later, he flew her to the birdbath for a little drink. Wining and dining his love.

The Joy of Selling by J.T. Auer

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Herbert presents The Joy of Selling by J.T. Auer

I am re-reading The Joy of Selling by J.T. Auer before I let it go. It is an oldie (1989), an international bestseller. I read it in my younger years. Although a book for the professional salesperson, its principles can be adapted and applied to many areas of living, working, and interrelationship with others; after all, we are always selling or being sold something in our daily interactions with others, whether we realize it or not. We “sell” ourselves every single day at any moment, our opinion, point of view, values, desires …

Although an older book with its dated technical jargon, this book is written in a simple, down to earth approach, and its principles are what makes it still useful today. Whether you are in the sales profession or not, it is still relevant.

Writing Dice?

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I had never heard of writing dice. One of my lovely nieces gifted me with this interesting writing prop. It looks fun and certainly has the potential to spark creativity. It is a series of color-coded dice with words/categories written on the dice. The way it works is by throwing the dice and creating a story with the words/categories obtained. Each color means something, for example, yellow represents time/place, white is point of view, and so on. Here’s what it looks like.

Photo by M.A.D.
Photo by M.A.D.

If I was to apply the example of dice in the picture to my first novel, Moonlit Valley*, it would be like this: written from the protagonist point of view (Rose Carrigan)(white dice), who is very witty (green dice), and taking place in a small rural town (Moonlit Valley)(pink dice); she is presented with an unexpected destiny, that challenges her identity (blue dice), as well as everything she thought she knew about her husband (yellow dice), in a supernatural twist of fate (orange dice). Now the funny thing is those were the dice (in the picture) that came out at my first try. Made me smile for sure. What a fun writing prop.

*You can find Moonlit Valley on Amazon, in eBook and printed format.

Should I Give My Chapters a Title?

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Should I give my chapters a title? I’ve asked myself that question, and while there is no right or wrong answer, I prefer numbering the chapters. However, in a few of my novels, I opted to give chapters a title. I think there are pros and cons to that approach, and it depends on what I am writing. Titles can be grounding to me, as the writer; it gives me a parameter to adhere to as I write. For a reader, it might enhance anticipation, or arouse curiosity and the need to continue reading, however, it might also set expectation. The reader might expect something different.

Is the title a giveaway of the entire chapter? Not necessarily, a hint maybe, but I don’t think chapter titles should be written like a blog/article title, hence letting the reader know what the content is about. I think of it more like an invitation to continue reading, a mystery that unravels in the next few pages. In Moonlit Valley, I used chapter titles such as: Exile (for chapter 1), Boundaries, A New Truth … These titles don’t say much, however, they set the stage for what’s coming in the next few pages. In Ramblings of the Spirit (book 1 of The Dinorah Chronicles) I used a combination of chapter number followed by title. For example, Chapter 4 Dark Waters. I used the same format for the entire trilogy. However, when I wrote The Five-dollar Miracle, I numbered the chapters, only. For my current novel, The Girl Who Could Not Love, I prefer to use chapter numbers, although I could have used titles instead. For that particular novel, both formats seemed to fit well.

For me, the flow of the story dictates what I will do, but I find that the traditional numbered chapters work well always.

On Writing – When Dialogue is Long

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In part, a purpose for this blog is to write about my journey as a writer, as well as to share what has worked for me, and my approach to writing a novel. There are so many books and information online on this topic, which will always be of some benefit; however, I find that much of that information is very technical and sometimes, even discouraging to someone who is just starting the journey, hence why I try to simplify when I am writing about a subject. In this case, dialogue, specifically, when it needs to be long.

When I am writing a novel, I strive to have a balance between dialogue, description, and narration. My novels tend to be rich in dialogue, sometimes long (if needed). If not careful, the reader might be lost in the conversation. Although sometimes a long conversation is required between two or more characters, I try my best to include other elements, whether having a character make a gesture, change positions, observe something, or anything that might give the reader a small break from the dialogue. I have a tendency to write in long sentences, as you might have noticed if you have been following this blog, and that is reason enough for me to be aware when I am writing dialogue, or even description in my novels (there you go, that was a long sentence.)

When dialogue is long, such as in the case of a character recounting a story, or a past event, I interject with something in the third person. As an example, Joe is recounting an event. He has been talking for a while, so in order to break it up a bit, as the writer, I can interject with having Emily react to what Joe is saying. Emily’s eyes grew wider with anticipation… or depending on the scene, Emily grabbed Victor’s hand tightly while Joey …. or a character might break the dialog with a question. These are all actions but should never feel forced on the characters. Those small breaks in dialogue give a break to the reader, but also make the other characters present in the conversation while they are silent. When I write dialogue, I want to make it as natural as when I am in conversation with another person or group of people. Characters have different personalities and when they are active in dialogue, their personalities are reflected through their words. It goes a step beyond she said/he said. A reader should never be confused about who said what. Just as chapters are a continuous clean break, so should interjections in dialogue. One follows the next naturally, without leaving the reader behind.

What Am I Reading Now?

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Herbert presents, The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene (Photo by M.A.D.)

This was a lovely surprise, a gift from my nephew on my birthday. The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene is about the understanding of human behavior but from a historical perspective, with examples throughout history. The bestselling author explains basic human nature behavior through historical examples in order to teach you how to apply decoding the same behavior today, in others and in yourself, and how to better understand and get a hold of your emotions once you understand this behavior, as well as become more understanding of others, thus improving your relationships.

So far, I am enjoying this book immensely; so far, a good read for sure.