What Makes a Book Good?

The last three months have been really busy, getting things settled after Mom's passing. There wasn't time to do much else but I did try to make some time to read. Even with less reading time than I usually have, I did get to thinking about this topic.

It's strange how you can do something and never really give it much thought until something happens to draw your attention. On rare occasions I might pick up a book because I'm bored and have no idea what I want to do. Thank goodness that seldom happens. Now that I'm getting back to a normal routine (whatever normal is) I've been reading two books. The one I just finished was a historical romance, When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare. It takes place in Scotland and starts out with a slightly unusual setting. I hated to put that one down before finishing it.

The second one is a Star Wars book. Over the years I've collected Star Wars books and only in the last year or so have I finally gotten around to reading any of them. I've read about six books so far. It's hard to read them in order when new books keep coming out that fill gaps between other books.

To get back to the original question: What makes a book good? Every reader has their own ideas on what they look for in a story. For some, if they don't find at least a hint of what they're looking for within the first few pages, or at least the first chapter, the book goes bye-bye. Some will stick it out, hoping the story gets better further into it.

I look for a few things, depending on the genre I'm into at the moment.  I enjoy a good romance, as long as it doesn't get "sticky" along the way. I don't generally read science fiction but I do enjoy time travel and like to see how the displaced character manages in their new surroundings. And if it's part of a time travel series, even better.

First off, the Star Wars books are written by several authors. That being the case, I figured somewhere down the line I'm going to run into a lemon. So far, not a single lemon to be seen. I'm familiar with the main characters from the first three films, and they help me get into the story in short order. (A couple books have plot lines taking place some three thousand years before Luke Skywalker's time.) I've also had the opportunity to delve more deeply into the characters' psyche and better understand what makes them tick. I don't stand on the fringes of the scenes watching and waiting for the characters to react to something. I'm involved.  I read one four-book series about several clone soldiers who were very close. (If you read a lot, usually you can pretty well guess how a story will conclude. Surprise!) In the fourth book about three chapters from the end, I ended up in tears when the climax was nothing like I expected. Good thing there was a box of tissues handy.

To sum up, what makes a book good for me: the setting, action and adventure, a romance that has the characters working together toward a common cause. Best of all, get me emotionally involved and I'll go looking for all your other books.

Won't you stop by the comments section and share with us what makes a book good for you?

When Critics Speak...

In my opinion, Wednesday night is a lousy night for television. Code Black is okay but they had their season finale the end of February. So last night I decided to watch a new DVD I purchased the day before.

Ron Howard has great instincts when it comes to choosing material for the movies he directs. He's willing to take chances on some of the more challenging topics, which is where In the Heart of the Sea falls. Beyond Moby Dick, I imagine there aren't a lot of people interested in whaling but this was based on the true story of the whaling ship Essex, out of Nantucket Island, MA and what became of her and her crew on their last voyage. It also gave Melville the idea for Moby Dick.

In the Heart of the Sea  didn't fare well at the box office. Financially, it bombed. Maybe it was the timing of the release. Sometimes you have to take what you can get and hope for the best. This movie had a November release which wasn't exactly in its favor. By this time of year, movie-goers are looking for feel good movies that promote the holiday season. This one was definitely not seasonal fare.

Not only that, the reviews weren't particularly kind. Then again, critics rarely are. This is where I part company with them. I may read the reviews but I tend to take them with a huge grain of salt. Critiques are often biased one way or the other, good or bad. They can make or break a movie before it's even been released. How can you claim 1) a movie is the best of the year when the year has barely started and you can't compare it to others; or 2) they give a movie low ratings, pick it to pieces because they don't like the genre. (There was one critic, quite a few years ago who hated science fiction movies but was always reviewing them.) If a critic can't keep an open mind, then they shouldn't be in the business of reviews.

I can give one other example of a movie that bombed. Around 1985 LadyHawke  was released in theaters. It starred Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer and was a medieval tale with a paranormal catalyst. Critics hated it. I thought it was, and still is, the best romantic story I have ever seen. A lot of other people agreed. So much for critics' opinions.

The same can be said for us as writers. We put in a lot of time, effort and hard work to create a product we hope people will like and enjoy. We need reviews to help us promote and we hope those reviews are, for the most part, good. More than that, we can only hope the critics keep an open mind when writing reviews. 

This weekend I plan to watch another DVD. Here's an unsolicited review... If you're looking for a story with non-stop action from start to finish, San Andreas should fill the bill.

Oh, Spring...Where Are You?

I know. It's too early. Spring doesn't officially arrive until March 20 but this has been the craziest winter yet.

I thought last winter was bad when here in New England in the beginning of February, we had two snowstorms a week for at least six weeks. Cities and towns faced a big challenge. Where were they going to put all the snow after cleaning up and plowing streets? That's when you start getting inventive and pile it up wherever there's space. Boston had so much of the stuff that the last of it didn't disappear until July.  I kid you not. There was a news story about it on TV.

Behind the building where I live there is a huge lot.  There used to be a mill there but it was torn down a few years ago and it's been empty since then. Well, it's not quite empty because the city put in a small parking lot in one corner. The rest of the lot is weed covered in the summer while the powers that be try to figure out what they want to do with the land. We got so much snow during the winter that dump trucks were making several trips a day to leave the unwanted white stuff. The mounds were at least six feet high and more when compared to the height of the chain link fence that surrounds the property. The longer the snow sat there, the dirtier it got, until it was actually black. By the time spring got a foothold in the area, it pretty well disappeared.

This winter's pattern has been similar in some ways particularly when you have one storm chasing on the heels of another. We haven't had much snow around here while some places in other parts of the country were almost buried. And if it wasn't snow, it was lots of rain and flash flooding.  (Blame El Nino for warming things up). Then the temperature went crazy. In early December or thereabouts, the cherry blossoms were out in Washington, D.C.  What does that do to the trees when they should be blossoming four months later?

 Our temps have been fairly moderate, considering the time of year but last weekend was a doozy. Canada was more than willing to share their cold temps. Personally, they could have kept it to themselves or sent them somewhere else. In my neck of the woods, the cold dropped to nine below zero and that was just the nighttime temperature. The wind chill was -20 to -30 below zero. It's a pretty quiet neighborhood around here, but was even more so those two nights.  Almost no one dared venture out. Can you say "freeze pops"?  All winter, I've had no blanket on my bed, it's been comfortable without one. Last weekend I had a nice, soft, thick afghan, perfect for snuggling under. It's still here, just in case.

I can just hear Pauxatauney (I know I didn't get that one right) Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog, all curled up in his warm burrow, laughing at the rest of us. That's his privilege. Maybe there's been enough going on to write a disaster story. Oh wait. Somebody, or several somebodies already did that... Absolute Zero;  Ice Twisters; The Day After Tomorrow. I'm sure there's room for another one.

Oh, Spring...  where are you???

Why Feel 'Sorry'?

Earlier this month I lost my mom to a long term illness. The responses from friends and colleagues has been appreciated but it also got me to thinking about something they all say.  It's a strange time to be thinking about this, I suppose, but my mind, however subtly, is always picking up on the odd thing.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

It's a common phrase everyone uses to express their feelings, but in a way it doesn't make sense. It's one of those word shadings, where you might have several words that generally fit but have subtle differences in meaning. The word 'sorry' implies an apology for a wrongdoing. The dictionary says: "to feel sorrow, regret, penitence." To feel sorrow might fit the circumstance, but not quite, to my way of thinking.

 As to regret or penitence... Did the person speaking have something to do with the death? Were they responsible in any way? I doubt it, unless they're guilty of committing murder and they're sorry for what they've done. Since that's undoubtedly not the case, why would someone apologize for something that's beyond their control?

Another phrase that doesn't seem to be used as much is: "My condolences for your loss." That one word, condolence means sympathy for another's sorrow. To my way of thinking, that one simple statement says so much more. It conveys something a little more intimate without crossing any lines. It also subtly offers support in a person's time of need.

The sentiments expressed by others are always greatly appreciated. It helps the bereaved deal a little better with their loss and lets them know they're not alone in their grief. In spite of my penchant for examining word usage at the oddest moments, I do appreciate when those sentiments are expressed.

It's That Time of Year ... Again

What were those lyrics the Righteous Brothers and The Platters (?) used to sing about time going by so slowly? You can't prove it by me. This year seems to have fled, quicker than 2014 did. Time may be a relative thing, but even younger people agree it seems to be passing us by even quicker.

I looked back on my blog to refresh my memory and found, to my dismay, that my January blog held forth lots of potential but turned out to be little substance. In all fairness life loves to throw out curve balls, just to see what you might do under the circumstances that do present themselves. Then there's Murphy, who likes nothing better than to move in with his target and raise havoc. I think he found a summer place in my home.

My one success was in the single submission I sent in. There were a couple new ideas that got filed as well. I'd love to work on them but there are older files that need tending before they end up with long gray whiskers or are relegated to "retirement" homes for ideas that never quite made it.

Which brings me to the point where I make a list of goals for 2016. I'm carrying forward most of the goals I had for this year but didn't achieve. All those short stories I wanted to finish and get ready for submission. They're getting in a queue, complaining about seniority and who should be given attention first. And you thought football fans were bad when it comes to confrontations. I wouldn't want to get in the way of a story that demands it can't wait. That could get pretty ugly.

So it comes to plotting some and finishing others. There are three or four month-long writing challenges to keep in mind as well. Anyone who has taken part in those knows the boost it can give you, both in getting a first draft done and boosting your self-confidence. Believe me, my self-confidence could use a double shot, mega-sized boost.

And that poor quilt is still waiting to be sewn together. In my defense I have to say it's hard to get a sewing project done when you don't have sufficient working space. I am determined to get it done, if I have to hang the sewing machine from the ceiling. The pattern is easy enough, tumbling blocks  but I'm doing it a bit differently. If you've seen the movie, think Floating Mountains of Pandora, in Avatar.

Hopefully the coming year will be more conducive to meeting goals and 2016 won't fly past any quicker than did 2015. If it goes any faster, it'll whizz past us. What are some of your goals for the new year? Love to hear from you.

Where, Oh Where Has My Little Muse Gone?

Back in August, my muse went on vacation. I didn't mind since everyone needs a break now and again to recharge their batteries. The problem is, she never came back. I thought something might have happened  and even considered posting "Have You Seen..." notices. That would have been a tough move.

Did I work her too hard?  Not likely. The first part of the year was spent self-editing and polishing a story for submission which finally was sent in late spring. During that period, her time was pretty much her own. She had little to offer and eventually didn't have much to say. Maybe I didn't give her enough attention. Sometimes it's hard to say what's not enough or too much. I guess I never found a good balance.

She's had a bad habit of not seeing things through, leaving me with a backlog of unfinished stories and no direction in which to take them. Her beginnings and endings are great. The middles?  Not so good. She might come up with a vague idea to move the story forward but it isn't enough to plot around. So the begin/end of the potential story ends up languishing in a folder waiting for attention. That could be my fault.

I thought she'd be back after Labor Day, ready to toss out some ideas. After all, the best ideas seem to appear when you least expect them, from the most unusual places.

Maybe she's decided that I haven't given her enough credit for what she's done. When we, as authors are interviewed and asked about where our ideas come from, we never say, "My muse came up with that plot. She's quite clever."

 I don't know if that's what she's been thinking and decided it was a good enough reason not to return after her vacation. If it is her reason and she's found a new home, I can honestly say I'm disappointed and I wish her well with her new challenges. I do know it's been a struggle for the last three months to come up with some decent ideas on my own, either to start something new or finish what's been sitting around for who knows how long. (Without her attention to detail, I've lost track of many things).

What I'm not looking forward to is interviewing new applicants for the position. But, I suppose it will have to be done if I expect to finish anything. I admit that too late, I've learned not to under-valuate the worth of a muse. By the beginning of the year, I hope to find one willing to take a chance on a sometimes scatter-brained human.

I've come to the conclusion that muses come and go without notice. Few stay a long while. Maybe there's a muse somewhere out there who is willing to accept on-the-job training, not only in coming up with writing plots but offering suggestions in other projects that have little or nothing to do with writing. We can grow together and share other aspects of creativity.  When it comes to a multi-faceted life, like everything else, you get what you put into it.

Please... don't make me put up those posters.

In Over My Head

I'm like the majority of writers, always busy. When I'm not writing, I'm involved in some craft or other and making all sorts of things. I've been knitting and crocheting all my adult life and every now and again, I decide it's about time to learn a new craft skill.

It started several years ago when I found out the community I live in holds a Chinese auction every spring. I started making afghans. At first I made them for single beds, but eventually downsized them to lap afghans.  During the winter I can get three or four done. At least one of them has to be a new stitch pattern, something I haven't done before. I don't get into fancy stuff because it would take up too much time and goals wouldn't be met. A couple one pound skeins usually works out well for each one.

Last year I started a new project of making pet blankets. Twice a year I make 6-10 of them. They're not very big but the local pet shelter says they're the perfect size for washing. I took a guess at two super saver skeins per blanket and it turned out just right. Generally the yarn is left over from a bigger project and I might have to get an extra skein of a particular color to make a full blanket. Multi-colored yarn is the best for this. A simple crochet stitch and watch the colors form a pattern. Some of them are wild and others look like lego bricks stuck together.

Then there's the king-size quilt, the embroidery and cross-stitch, red work (black, blue, or green) that's just waiting to be needled. The toughest part of it all is not having sufficient space for supply storage or to get the work done. It's a constant challenge to reorganize and find more room, especially when the dimensions of the room itself are a constant.

I may be in over my head with all the projects I have lined up. No matter how many there are in the queue, I'm always looking for new challenges. If the project is simple and the work repetitive, then part of my brain likes to move on to other things. Like working out plot problems or fixing some dialogue I don't like. There's nothing conscious about it, no thinking, "Okay, I can do this in my sleep so let me think about writing." It just happens. And that's when I come up with the brilliant ideas to fix or advance my story.  Or maybe I found something for the heroine to do.

The newest projects were started early in the summer when I got interested in beading.  Some of the beads are small enough they don't want to go onto the beading needle. With them I might as well be playing Tiddlie Winks. Hit the beads just right and they go flying. With dark gray carpeting, they're hard to find, until you step on them. They don't hurt, you just know you've found them, and fortunately, they've all been recovered.

Time is the biggest enemy. There are only so many hours in a day to accomplish what you want to do. Unless you're willing to give up, say... eating or sleeping. Having chatted with others, (some aren't writers) there's one thing we all have in common. We can't wait to get to the next craft project, try out the new pattern or experiment with materials we've never tried before. The biggest challenge waiting for me is learning to knit lace. I have yet to do it right. I've got the right yarn, the knitting needles and the books. All I need is a sufficient block of time to concentrate on it.

So maybe I am in over my head and a lot of what I'd like to do will never get done while the list of future projects gets longer. It might be crazy but it keeps the creative juices flowing.

What keeps your creative juices flowing? Leave a comment and share your favorite interests.