I just read Judy Blume's latest blog. After a literary conference in Key West, which provided the motivation and ideas, she's started a new book. It was amazing to read her blog about how the process works for her. She mentions in her blog that she carries her characters in her head sometimes for years before she is ready to put the story into book form. That was a real inspiration for me--since the two main characters of my book have been with me for several years now.
Her book takes place in the 1950's--I love that decade. After all, those were the years of my childhood. Being a half century baby, I was the embodiment of Joanie from Happy Days. The only thing missing was the older brother. From poodle skirt, bobby socks, saddle shoes, to hoola hoops and skorts (check those out in wikipedia), those were truly happy days for me. As I look back, I believe the reason I enjoyed this decade so much was my own innocence and the happy feeling that the world was a safe place.
Back to my book--which is languishing in my thumb drive as we speak. There are days I wish I had nothing to do but write, but life seems to get in the way. I think I should take another tip from Judy Blume and keep a notebook where I can write down ideas about my characters, which will help to move the story along. To a certain extent they live in my head too. I know they want the story told and I ask myself daily if I really can tell this amazing story. I wish Judy Blume could come live at my house for a week or two. Imagine how much I would learn about writing from a master writer like her.
I think one of the major stumbling blocks for me is for whom am I writing this story? Let me rephrase that--I am writing the story for me, but what audience will read it? Being a school librarian, I so want this to be a book that kids will pick up, but the story--to be told properly, isn't really a children's story. It is a story based in real life and I want to be as true to the details as I can. I must tell the love story, in detail, which puts it out of the realm of a children's book. Or does it? After all, Stephanie Meyers has made quite a lot of money telling a love story in which a vampire is symbolic of the sexual act. No real sex to speak of--but the young people who clamor to read her books don't seem too upset by that.
Another roadblock for me is the decade in which my story takes place--actually the time frame is a little more than two years, from late 1900 until June of 1902. I've already done quite a bit of research so that details are accurate. The story takes place in two countries--more research--and it involves an industry--coal mining-- that I knew very little about until I started researching for the book about three years ago.
Why am I writing in my blog about writing my book instead of actually doing it?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Understanding Road Rage--okay--Road Anger
I've been driving for a long time. In Pennsylvania, drivers licenses were obtained at age 16 after driver education which was part of the high school program. I had Coach DeCantis as my driving teacher. Let's just say riding around with the football coach and the young man who would eventually be my husband for 23 years was an interesting experience. I did learn a lot though--because Coach wouldn't have it any other way. He believed in driving safely and also driving kindly.
I have noticed that today there seems to be no courtesy on the road. Everyone is so self absorbed, as though there is no one else but them on the road. Tonight I was amazed not once, not twice but three times by drivers who have probably cut in line since kindergarten. One was a woman who wanted a close parking space at Target. She made a left hand turn to go down a lane but stopped leaving the rear half of her car positioned so that oncoming traffic must stop for fear of hitting her. She does not move, but waits for the person to load his car, get in his car, start his car and back out of his spot, all the while blocking traffic in both directions in the main lane right in front of Target. The second was a man, driving in front of me as I was leaving the Target parking lot and getting on the access road for 635. I am in the center lane as is he. In this lane you can go straight or turn left. I assume he's going straight because he does not use his turn signal. WRONG. He slowly approaches the light--not going the speed limit--and then at the last moment he speeds up and turns left, leaving me stuck at the light. Geesh! The third driver is sexless because the SUV had tinted windows and I could not see the driver when I finally got to pass the car. The Ford Explorer was in the far left lane on Loop 12 going 60 miles an hour. I am in the far left lane going 65--five miles over the limit. I come up on the car, thinking they would move--Wrong. They continue at 60 in the far left lane. I flash my lights, just once--but still no movement to the middle lane. I finally put on my blinker move to the middle lane and pass the car. All the laws of driving I have ever been taught say that the left lane is for passing. You get in this lane, pass the cars you need to and then return to a middle or right hand lane. This was not rush hour with three lanes packed with cars. It was almost 8 in the evening and traffic was light. Apparently the driver was comfortable in the left lane and wasn't going to move.
What's the point of this traffic tale? I guess it is the realization that people with any kind of anger management problems could be in serious trouble on Texas roads. How many drivers does it take before one reaches the anger limit and blows? I do my share of complaining about bad drivers, but usually not loud enough for the other drivers to hear me. But I am beginning to see how it could happen.
I have noticed that today there seems to be no courtesy on the road. Everyone is so self absorbed, as though there is no one else but them on the road. Tonight I was amazed not once, not twice but three times by drivers who have probably cut in line since kindergarten. One was a woman who wanted a close parking space at Target. She made a left hand turn to go down a lane but stopped leaving the rear half of her car positioned so that oncoming traffic must stop for fear of hitting her. She does not move, but waits for the person to load his car, get in his car, start his car and back out of his spot, all the while blocking traffic in both directions in the main lane right in front of Target. The second was a man, driving in front of me as I was leaving the Target parking lot and getting on the access road for 635. I am in the center lane as is he. In this lane you can go straight or turn left. I assume he's going straight because he does not use his turn signal. WRONG. He slowly approaches the light--not going the speed limit--and then at the last moment he speeds up and turns left, leaving me stuck at the light. Geesh! The third driver is sexless because the SUV had tinted windows and I could not see the driver when I finally got to pass the car. The Ford Explorer was in the far left lane on Loop 12 going 60 miles an hour. I am in the far left lane going 65--five miles over the limit. I come up on the car, thinking they would move--Wrong. They continue at 60 in the far left lane. I flash my lights, just once--but still no movement to the middle lane. I finally put on my blinker move to the middle lane and pass the car. All the laws of driving I have ever been taught say that the left lane is for passing. You get in this lane, pass the cars you need to and then return to a middle or right hand lane. This was not rush hour with three lanes packed with cars. It was almost 8 in the evening and traffic was light. Apparently the driver was comfortable in the left lane and wasn't going to move.
What's the point of this traffic tale? I guess it is the realization that people with any kind of anger management problems could be in serious trouble on Texas roads. How many drivers does it take before one reaches the anger limit and blows? I do my share of complaining about bad drivers, but usually not loud enough for the other drivers to hear me. But I am beginning to see how it could happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)