Writing To Be Read

In my second post, “Becoming a Writer”, I talked about how in order to start thinking of myself as a writer, I had to engage in activities that writers do. With my recent endeavor as Southern Colorado Literature Examiner, I find that I really had know idea what it felt like to be a writer at the time of that posting. I thought that I did, but I was simply cruising along at my own pace, writing whenever my muse decided to provide a dose of inspiration, networking to get traffic to my sites and build a readership, and thinking that this is what it feels like to be a writer. For the past three weeks, since I signed on with Examiner.com, I have learned how little I really knew then.
Being an Examiner, I’ve learned very quickly what it is to be a professional writer. For the past three weeks I have immersed myself in research; finding and contacting authors that I might profile or who have books just released or coming soon to review, identifying events that might be of interest to my readers, exploring different angles for presenting southern Colorado literature. Although I don’t have actual deadlines, I do have a goal of three to four articles per week, which I have kept busy trying to fulfill. In addition, of course, I still have the same obligations that I had prior to taking on this new venture, which includes Writing to be Read, as well as touching base with my networking friends and readers, and keeping them updated as to my new writings and getting the ideas for other writing, such as poetry and additional stories for my children’s series, My Backyard Friends.
This is what it truly feels like to be a writer. It is so much more than just writing a poem here or there, whenever the mood strikes. It is more than trying to stir the embers of inspiration to flare up an idea for a weekly blog post. It is even more than building a readership. Although each of these things, do play a part in being a writer, the research involved in writing articles has taught me a lot already about what it is to seriously do research. I have searched the internet incessantly to not only find ideas and authors, but to verify my facts before I publish them. I have met other authors and corresponded, doing e-mail interviews and having review copies of their books sent for review. I have read incessantly, because you can not review a book you haven’t read, and your can not learn form intelligent questions that will create an accurate and revealing profile of an author without reading their work. When I am not pecking away at the keys to my laptop, I have a book in my hands, my husband and son having to compete for my attention, because I get so immersed in my work that I often forget that they need me, too.
It is a good feeling to be a writer. I am absolutely loving it. I have already made new writing friends that I will probably correspond with for years to come. I have produced what I think are some quality articles so far, and I am learning to manage my time between all of my obligations and even take out time for me, (which is important for my sanity).
In the short three weeks that I have been an Examiner, I have discovered that this really is what I want to do. It is what I dreamed of. I’m doing what I love. It has made me more determined than ever to find a way to write full time and make it my profession. I want to thank those of you that read this blog and those that have visited my Examiner page to read my work there. Without my readers, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I couldn’t do it without you.
Close Your Eyes and Dream…

Close your eyes and dream…
Picture yourself in a sailboat
On an ocean of endless waves.

Close your eyes and dream…
Picture yourself in a cabin
Overlooking an emerald mountain lake.

Close your eyes and dream…
Picture yourself in a city park
As cool, fresh raindrops alight on your skin.

Close your eyes and dream…
Picture yourself on a wind-whipping Hog
Riding the road of endless possibilities.

Close your eyes and dream…
Picture yourself cozily cuddling
The person that you love most in the world.

It matters not where you go
Or who you take with you
Never be afraid to
Close your eyes and dream…

Copyright ©2009 Kaye Lynne Booth

Every writer knows the difference between text and subtext, right? No? Okay, then let me explain. We all know what text is. The text is the words we use to let readers know what is going on in the story. Subtext, on the other hand, are those things that are left unsaid, that let readers know what is really going on. In every situation, people act and react in certain ways in order to be ‘civilized’ or socially acceptable, or just to prevent hurt feelings. In writing, the true situation can be assumed through a variety of facial expressions, gestures, or just in the fact of what is not said. For example, if Aunt Sophia is telling John about Abigail’s illness, she may roll her eyes as she elaborates on how bad off Abigail is, because Aunt Sophia knows that Abigail is a hypochondriac and there is probably nothing really wrong with her at all. John may or may not know this, but he will get the message that Sophia doesn’t really believe what she is saying and so will the readers.
As writer’s when we set up a scene, we must take many things into consideration. A simple dinner scene with four friends can turn into a tension filled room if two of the guests are secretly having an affair, and one of the spouses suspects, and the adulteress thinks she may be pregnant because she’s late. In a situation like this, every move and gesture may have underlying meaning that is not displayed openly. When the suspecting husband is asked to pass the peas and accidentally drops them in the cheating husbands lap, one can’t help but wonder. Under different circumstances, dropping the peas might just be accident and we would think nothing of it, but because of the subtext in this situation, readers understand that which has been left unsaid and the suspecting husband’s motives come into question.
Consider a scene where three teen-aged girls that don’t particularly care for one another have been assigned to work together on a homework project. Although the discussion of how to accomplish the assigned goal may be civil in tone and content, the conversation may be stressed, facial expressions and gestures may be made behind each others backs, or quiet snickers or little giggles might give away the true feelings of the girls regarding one another. We have all been in these situations, so it is not difficult to interpret the subtext in a story, as long as the author has remembered to put it there to be interpreted.
Have you ever read a story that had no subtext? A story where everything was exactly as it appeared and it wasn’t necessary to interpret what was really happening because it was so obvious that there wasn’t anything else going on? A story where everyone trusted everyone else and they all said exactly what they meant with blatant honesty? Did you finish it? Was it a page turner that you just couldn’t put down? Somehow, I doubt it. Without subtext, the story wouldn’t be convincing because in real life there are other things going on. Very rarely are things exactly as they seem. Besides that, a story like that leaves no room for clever plot twists or surprise endings, and if you know what is going to happen at the end, there’s really no point in reading the book, right? That is why I say, “Let there be subtext, lots and lots of subtext.” There’s really no story without it.
To close this post, instead of one of my poems, I’d like to share a poem written by a woman in my husbands creative writing class that was inspired by a post that he made about our son and his dog. It touched both of our hearts and I asked her if I could share it with my readers. I print it here with her permission.  Subtext is important in poetry, as well, and this poem is a wonderful example.

Dance

when the air is brisk
and the breeze cool,
a presence is felt
and he invites me to dance with him

when i remember his smile
i swirl around to find him
he teases me, ready to play
and he invites me to dance with him

when i jump and run
along the mountain, my stage
i laugh and sing
and i invite him to dance with me

when we sprint down the hill,
wind whips through our coats
we fall into the yard
and we invite you to dance with us

when we call your name
and you don’t even answer
we continue to play
and we invite you to dance with us

look a little closer
at what you think you cant see
because we are here waiting
and we invite you to dance with us

By Elizabeth Sansone

There are many methods of developing a character, so that the reader can not only form a mental picture of the person, but also feel as if she knows and understands the character. Description creating physical image, persona that gives the character voice, the actions of the character, internal thoughts expressed externally, the interpretation of the character as the author sees him, or through conflict where the internal expression of the character is at odds with the external appearances can all be used individually or in combination to create complex, rounded characters that readers will care about. As authors, we have control over what is or is not revealed about a character. The reader must form an idea of who this character is based only on what we choose to give them.
Physical descriptions are a good starting point. The choices that a character makes regarding clothes, hair styles, what cars they drive, even their pets can tell readers a lot about the person and help them to form an image of this character in their minds. Images can also be created by describing the external surroundings that the character chooses to immerse himself in. However, keep in mind that just as one can not know everything about a person by simply observing a person, one can not know the inner essence of a character based on description alone (even if it is an exceptional one). Often, people deliberately create an image of themselves that may be deceiving to others. The author may have the character dress a certain way in order to play down a weight problem, or act with utmost confidence when the character is truly very insecure, or say all the appropriate things, although thoughts and emotions are conflicting from those expressed.
Persona or voice can also be used to develop a character and tell the reader many things about him. It can be difficult to project the persona of the character clearly, so the reader can hear the characters voice in her head, especially if the character’s persona is very different from that of the author, however, when done with skill, it can be very effective in making the reader want to learn more about the character, as in the following section of introduction;

         ”I lead an unusual life.
          By this I do not mean that my life is better than yours. I‘m sure that your life is filled

     with as much happiness, charm, wonder, and abiding fear as anyone could wish.

     Like me,  you are human, after all, and we know what a joy and terror that is.
     

           I mean only that my life is not typical. Peculiar things happen to me that don‘t happen

     to other people with regularity, if ever.” Dean Koontz - Odd Thomas, Bantam Books,

     2003, p.2.

Another way to define a character, is through the his actions. Knowing what it is that the character wants or desires, what motivates him to take action and behave in certain ways can be a very revealing factor. The desire reveals certain aspects about a character, while the choices that he makes as to how the goal is reached may tell other things about this character. Really, desire or motive is a necessity in every story, because without them, nothing would ever happen, so there really wouldn’t be a story. Every character must have a desire or need to work towards and the actions taken due to those needs are what moves the story line along.
Yet another effective method of developing character is conflict. Conflict is what makes a character interesting. A character that is always happy and never gets stressed or irritated would be a boring character indeed. Conflict revealed by pitting what is learned through the different methods of character development at odds with one another, creating dramatic tension. For example, a character may reveal thoughts in an inner dialog that conflict with what has been stated externally to other characters, or as the author, we might choose to reveal conflicting aspects of the characters personality. I take the liberty of using the same character as in the above example to illustrate the seeming conflicting sentimentality and rationality that exist simultaneously within the same man;

         “Cards and birthmarks aside, I love her intensely. I would throw myself off a high

      cliff for her if she asked me to jump. I would, of course, need to understand the

      reasoning behind her request.” Dean Koontz - Odd Thomas, Bantam Books, 2003, p.7.

As you can see, this character is very complex and it will take further reading to get an better idea of who he really is. In a nutshell, he is an interesting character. Koontz has done an excellent job of creating a main character that is complex and interesting. He introduces him in a way that reveals many likable aspects, but also some that are puzzling and makes us, as readers desire to learn more about him, which means we have to keep reading (and isn’t that the point to writing?).
That said, let me just close by saying that it is possible to create interesting characters in any genre, including poetry, which you might know, is my forte. I hope that you enjoy meeting Luella in the following limerick, because she’s really quite a likeable gal. At the least, I hope she gets a chuckle out of you.

Luella’s Fella

There once was a girl named Luella
Who had her eye on a mighty nice fella
But her hygiene was bad
He told her “Please don’t be mad,
But I really can not stand your smella.”

She was determined to win him over
So in the bath, she poured crimson and clover
Then she jumped in the tub
And with soap she did scrub
Thinking soon he would be her lover.

With shampoo she did take such great care
To wash out all the spiders from her hair
They had made a nest from her locks
And mice had eaten her frock
She had not a new one to spare.

She donned the best dress she could find
With her beau always in mind
Once she was clean
She did primp and preen
Even powdering up her behind.

But alas, he found another
Luella thought she’d surely smother
There were tears in her eyes
As they said their good-byes
But she settled for his younger brother.

Copyright ©2009 Kaye Lynne Booth

The development of the Internet was significant to writers in many ways. Electronic submissions, e-mail, e-books, e-zines, networking sites all made it much easier to get your work out there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it became easier to make money writing. The whirlwind of Internet technology brought with it a slew of competition, because when it became easier for you or I, it also became easier for millions of others. A writer still has to be truly talented, and even that is no guarantee that you will be successful. Just as with the publishing business prior to Internet age, it is still important to build a solid portfolio, to showcase your work for those who are not familiar with it, (and unless you are extraordinarily talented, or just plain lucky, not everyone will be).
In this area, too, the Internet offers advantages that were not available to us in the pre-computer era. You might not get rich bloging, but it does offer web wide exposure to your work, and if you keep at it, you can build a sizable readership, while at the same time, offering new work to be included in your portfolio and build your resume. There are many sites on the web that have fairly simple criteria for acceptance and they will publish your work electronically. With a lot of these sites, pay is based on the amount of traffic your site draws, if they pay at all. None of these sites are going to make you rich and famous overnight, but they do provide exposure for your work and help to build your readership.This blog, for example, is a paid blog. Today.com actually pays for me to write this stuff. (I know it’s hard to believe, but they really do.) The pay is based on the amount of people that read my blog, so the bigger my readership, the more money I will make, but I’m not going to make enough from just this weblog to be able to quit my day job. However, it does give me a site to send people to so that my readership will grow, and it gives me more writing to fill my portfolio and make me look impressive when applying to write elsewhere. I just recently began to write articles for Examiner.com, and I’m working on my first one now. When applying, I was able to refer them to this site to view examples of my writing, and apparently, they liked what they saw. Writing to be Read helped to establish my expertise as a writer and I now hold the title of Southern Colorado Literature Examiner. I probably won’t be able to retire off the money that I make with Examiner.com either, but the next time I apply for something, I will have one more site to refer my perspective employers to so they can better decide if our styles fit together well.
So although I may not be rolling in dough, getting my work out on as many sites as I can is important to me, whether they pay well or not. These writing sites are a means to an end for me; part of the bigger plan and they also provide a way for me to get paid, (at least a minimal amount), to do what I love; writing. I have included a link for anyone who would like to join me on Today.com, whether to make a little extra cash or to add to your portfolio (Follow the link to my page and click on the ‘Get Paid to Blog’ button. Examiner.com is also looking for examiners in many fields and areas, so I have included that link as well. (Please use my name for your referral if you apply). You may also contact me for more ideas and sites through Writers’ World (I am Angel1, the site administrator). Happy Writing!

Online publishing sites:

Weblog sites:
Today.com (Paid blogging) 
 Live Journal (Free journaling/blogging)
Blogger (Free blogging)

Articles
eHow (How-to articles with structured format)
Examiner.com (articles in your area of expertise)

Short Stories
Triond (Original and unique content - no previously published work)
Wordpress (Blogging tool and publishing platform)
Field Report (True stories)
Abandoned Towers (Fiction, poetry and non-fiction; print and online publishing)
Static Movement (Accepts Reprints; non-paying)

The Masters Creation

The soft white blanket of snow has all but disappeared
It’s not been abruptly pulled back, but rather slowly melted away
As the sun’s rays warm the ground beneath it.

Little green shoots of life timidly poke up out of the ground
Stretching, stretching to greet the new world
And warm themselves after the seasons brisk chill.

Evergreens, too, seem to reach out and up
In a welcome to the new season
Almost as warm as the sun’s rays.

The air is filled with the twitterings of birds
Returned with the spring to liven the forest
And hummingbirds that buzz with activity.

Each little plant, each tall tree, each bird and bug
Are the image of perfection, as they must be
For each one is an intricate part of the Master’s creation.

Writing a children’s story is easy, because kids will believe anything, so you don’t even have to write well or be convincing. This is a popular myth that was started by someone who never tried to write a children’s story and probably didn’t have enough talent to write for the lowest ranking tabloid. Anyone who has actually written a children’s story will tell you that the number one mistake a children’s writer can make is to sell their audience short. Don’t kid yourselves. Kids are sharp, and they won’t miss a beat. If there are inconsistencies in your story, you can bet a kid will find it, and most won’t hesitate to point it out for all to see clearly. You have to work even harder to make kids believe the unbelievable. Kids are not easy sells.
I think that to figure out what makes a good kids story, we have to go back to when we were kids, or at least to when our kids were kids, and take a look at some of our own favorite stories. When my kids were growing up, our favorite story was Where the Wild Things Are, by Murray Sendak. I used to read it to them, but in certain places, I would stop and let them fill in the blanks, because we read it so much that we all knew it by heart. They would even have me tell it from memory on camping trips or we‘d see if one of them could tell it, but I would usually end up having to help them out with parts. This book was a favorite because it was fun. Sendak did a great job with his use of language and made it fun to read his story. My kids loved to recite the words and always added their own emphasis and expression to them. Max didn’t just say, “No”, it was more fun to say the exclamation point through the whole sentence, “And Max said, No!”
Another reason was the wonderful illustrations that it featured. The monsters weren’t designed to give kids nightmares, they were more like Muppets, those cuddly, loveable monsters from Sesame Street and my kids loved them. They understood why Max had second thoughts about sailing away and leaving them. It is no surprise that my kids spoke the words of the monsters begging Max not to leave in small, cutesy voices, rather than big scary ones. Max got assigned the big, gruff voice, probably because he was king.
His story didn’t even try to make you believe the unbelievable. Instead, he set it up so that the readers knew this was a dream or a product of Max’s imagination. It starts out letting us know that Max was pretending in his wolf suit and got into mischief, so he was sent to his room. While there, Max’s imagination transform his room into an imaginary world where the wild things are. The reader knows that Max’s adventures and the monsters that he meets are not real, so they don’t have to buy it. When Max returns to the real world of his room and his mother’s cooking, we know that he has been there all along.
All of these elements combined to make Sendak’s story one that is truly enjoyable to readers both young and old. I think that this is what a good children’s story is all about. I have tried to incorporate some of these elements into my own writing. The characters in my new series, “My Backyard Friends” was inspired by the birds and other forest creatures that visit my yard. Believing in animals that can speak doesn’t require too much stretch of the imagination and I tried to make them realistic and likeable characters. They have fun on their adventures, as well as learning lessons from their experiences. The first book is Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend. It features Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle, and demonstrates the value of friendship. I chose to have Aidana WillowRaven to do my illustrations because her work shows many of the same fun and enjoyable qualities that are found in Sendak’s book. I just recently received the finished cover that she has designed for me. I was pleased, and I think when you look at it, you’ll see what I mean:

One thing I will say about writing for children is that you never want to write down to them, for that would be sure to loose their interest before they even get started. They don’t want to read something that was written by someone who assumes their readers are morons any more than you or I would. However, the subject matter can be presented in a simpler manner. Adults seem to need plot twists and subplots to keep them interested, while kids seem to prefer the story to be presented simply and straight forward. Ethen Eagle does not have a hidden agenda in helping Heather, and Heather doesn’t harbor a secret crush on Ethan to complicate the story. They are just two birds who work together to help one another out, because that is what friends are for.
Friendship has come to be a popular theme with me. My characters seem to make knew friends in each additional book, as well. The latest story, that I just finished writing, introduces Bobby Bluebird, who makes friends with Charlie Chickadee and Nicholas Nuthatch, (but you won’t be meeting him until later in the series). The next story coming up in the series, tells how Nick and Charlie became friends while Charlie was hunting for a new home. Everyone needs friends, so why not incorporate this theme into my books? Hopefully, my books too, will be enjoyable for readers both young and old.

For My Friend Smiley
Someone with a name like Smiley
Should never be depressed
Even though this world we live in
Is so very full of stress.
So whenever the blues come ’round
Threatening to have their way
Just drive them off. It isn’t hard.
Here’s all you have to say;
“Go on now. Get! I don’t want you.
This is not where you belong.
I’ll chase you off. I know just how.
Here, you are all wrong.”
Just tell those blues that their not wanted
And if they don’t want to go
Then say a prayer and sing a song
And fill them full of woe.
They can’t stand up to cheerfulness
Look deep within yourself
Find that Smiley-girl that I know so well
Pull your faith down off the shelf.
They’ll turn tail and run; see if they don’t.
Now you just wait and see.
And if you find that you still need support,
You can always call on me.

Copyright ©2009 Kaye Lynne Booth