Far World - water keep By J. Scott Savage

In the real world, it is pretty hard to be a hero, especially if you are a little kid. Now imagine yourself as a kid who has to get around in a wheelchair because of physical disabilities. Okay, go ahead and try to intimidate the bad guys. Impossible? Not if you are Marcus Kanenas, the hero in Far World – Water Keep, by J. Scott Savage. From the cover blurb:

Other people may see thirteen-year-old Marcus Kanenas as an outcast and a nobody, but he sees himself as a survivor and a dreamer. In fact, his favorite dream is of a world far away, a world where magic is as common as air, where animals tell jokes and trees beg people to pick their fruit. He even has a name for this place-Farworld.

When Marcus magically travels to Farworld, he meets Kyja, a girl without magic in a world where spells, charms, and potions are everywhere, and Master Therapass, a master wizard who has kept a secret hidden for thirteen years, a secret that could change the fate of two worlds.
But the Dark Circle has learned of Master Therapass’s secret and their evil influence and power are growing. Farworld’s only hope is for Marcus and Kyja to find the mythical Elementals-water, land, air, and fire-and convince them to open a drift between the worlds.

As Kyja and Marcus travel to Water Keep, they must face the worst evil the Dark Circle can throw at them-Summoners, who can command the living and the dead. Unmakers, invisible creatures that can destroy both body and soul; and dark images known as Thrathkin S’Bae.
Along the way, Marcus and Kyja will discover the truth about their own heritage, the strength of their friendship, and the depths of their unique powers.

I really enjoy well-written fantasy. To find a great fantasy that also has a positive message (that doesn’t hit you over the head) is a double bonus. J. Scott Savage has done that, along with creating realistic and love e‘m or hate ‘em characters. He has also introduced a fabulous fantasy world I can picture clearly. And if that isn’t enough coolness, there is a map! I love maps in books. The first in a five book series, this is a great read for young adults, and adults too!

Published by Shadow Mountain, fabulous illustrations by Brandon Dorman.

Read the J. Scott Savage interview in the Coffee House Writing Series, coming up on July 25, 2008

To make fantasy readers doubly happy, there is a book give-away. If you would like to enter the drawing for an author-autographed (with a personal message!) copy of the advance reader’s edition, just make a comment on this review. You can have a copy of this book before it hits the shelves in September, ensuring the envy of all your friends! Winner chosen on July 30th.

woof woof! woof woof! writers offering our finest

Once again, Tuesday is WOOF day. W.O.O.F. - Writers Offering Our Finest Contest, for Writer’s and Writing Blogs, is sponsored by Plotdog Press. They accept posts with original work - fiction, poetry, prose, graphic novels, information about the writing process, plus photos and artwork about writing. Also check out Plotdog for book reviews, featured writers, writer’s tools, guest writers, and more good stuff. Please check out the links listed below. And of course, visit Plotdog to enter the weekly WOOF contest!

WOOF Contest - Top 5 Picks:

About Writing

Kimota - “How to Become a Writer - the Harsh Reality”

Annetta Ribken - “Finding The Time To Write”

Robert Stevenson - “For improved writing think visually”

Qugrainne - “Cluttered Desk, Cluttered Mind, Clear Desk……”

Fiction

Jennifer M Scott - “In Pursuit of Jack”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PLOTDOG PRESS FEATURING: “Stephen King’s Bones“

Here is my WOOF today, sitting on her throne. She is hoping to be invisible in order to avoid a bath:

Fess up friday… or is it sins on saturday

There was a fair amount of writing going on this week. Unfortunately, it has also been a very unsettling week, with a lack of a certain kind of focus. I did spend a lot of time on query letter, synopsis, and first thirty pages of the WIP. I was able to dive into that fantasy world without too much trouble.

Reality world was a bit overwhelming, however, so other writing, thinking, planning, doing, was quite unfocused. I sat down Saturday, as usual, to write my (late) confession, and couldn’t pull it together. Tried again, later in the day, couldn’t do it. This evening, I stopped pushing and pulling. I went out in the garden and listened to the water trickling into the pond. I walked around and looked at all of the plants (domestic and otherwise) having their way with my back yard. I took deep breaths, shook out the kinks in my hands, and took a few photos. I am not going to write any more today, when normally I would take advantage of the very quiet house. I am going to share these pictures, and…

Of course I wanted these plants to spill over the bricks and onto the path.

Yes, these too. all part of the master plan.

It is good I didn’t get around to buying tomato plants this year. The strawberries obviously had other ideas for that space.

Pond? What pond. Looks like a thyme patch to me.

Don’t worry. We can just climb over the flowers that are growing in the middle of the path at the gate.

Creeping thyme is supposed to be walked on. It doesn’t matter that there is a flagstone path there. Somewhere.

Relax. Nobody uses that back gate anyway. Let the larkspur just grow in the path.

Right. The garden is doing just fine on its own. Tomorrow is another day for writing. I am going to grab that mystery and a mug of chai, and climb into bed. It feels quite nice, being lenient with me.

Write on Wednesday - late again

Becca asks:

How does writing fit into your daily life? What’s your ideal time to write, and why? Do you “write on schedule” or “when the spirit moves you”?

This Write on Wednesday just never seems to get done on time…. Does that say something about my writing schedule, or lack there of?

I actually have a pretty strict scheduled time for writing, but what happens within those hours isn’t quite as strict. I can be carried away from my set plan by all of the tempting blogs out there, and in a few seconds I am far, far away from my original goals. I would probably be more successful if I turned the internet off when I am supposed to be writing…….

During the summer, I go to the Humboldt Café five or six mornings a week. During the school year, it is only on the weekend and the occasional day off. I get a lot more writing done when I am not at home, where there are so many distractions: refrigerator, vacuum, good book, dog, telephone ringing, children, weeds to pull, and countless other wonderful things to do. Not that writing isn’t wonderful – I love writing.

I get here around 8 a.m. and I leave at noon. I talk to people occasionally, but everyone who knows me, knows I am writing, so they pretty much leave me alone. A friend I haven’t seen much of lately, just walked up to me and said, “You have such a look of concentration on your face, breathing through your nose, it is amazing you don’t have to come up for air.”

So here, I don’t hear the music, the people talking around me, the coffee grinders, the roaster turning the beans, and whatever else is going on that I am not hearing! And I don’t have a cell phone.

I write at home, too, but it is sporadic – whatever the schedule can bear. And look who’s waiting for a walk! She can tell time.

Cluttered desk, cluttered mind - clear desk……..

Oh my gosh. What a mess!!

Today is catch up, announce, sort through, throw away, and otherwise clear my desk so I can clear my mind.
Laurence Peter said, “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?” (Too funny. Yes, he is the originator of the Peter Principle.) I need to clear my desk regularly, however. It gets extremely messy, and then my mind starts to get blurry, too. Once the desk is clear, I can think about one thing at a time again. I have this conversation with my daughters regularly:

“Do not talk on the phone while you are driving. Your brain can only focus on one thing at a time.”
“Not true, Mom. I can do both at once! Watch.”
“Nooooooooo, look out for that squirrel!”
“Ooops.”

You know that we can do something on automatic pilot while also doing something you are focused on, but you can’t focus on two things at the same time. It is not possible. You do not believe me? Then try this experiment from Aza Raskin:

Think about the about the taste of chocolate (that glorious silky rush of sweet earthy flavor) at the exact same time as you add 47 and 56. Really try. At the same time. If it makes your brain fuzzy in the way your mouth feels after you’ve had an unripe banana, you’re in good company: it’s impossible. You can switch back and forth really quickly, but you can’t actually think about both things at the same time.

I really like the use of chocolate as part of this experiment.

Back to clearing my desk to unclutter my mind. If it is clean and orderly, I can take one task at a time from the pile that is organized according to due date, and I get a lot more done. Here goes with mental desk clearing, after which, I have committed to the physical desk clearing:

#1 New Banner!

I am pleased to draw your attention to my new banner, courtesy of my blog buddy, Deb at Vintage Moon Studio. There is also a button on the side bar if you are interested in visiting her site. Deb is a wonderful artist, and also has a store at Etsy with her fabulous artwork. If you are in the market for a new banner, send Deb an email. Not incidently, she is great to work with.

#2 The Coffee House Series.

I am very excited to have some cool, coffee house posts coming up in the next month. My number one (and pretty much only) addiction in life is coffee, especially if I am drinking it in a coffee shop. Whenever I travel, the first thing I look for is a coffee shop. I avoid chains at all costs – my experience has been there is little personality to be found there.

At my personal office – Alterra’s Humboldt Café, my first order of the day is always a cappuccino. After that, I will drink a couple cups of coffee. Afternoon is for tea. In the winter, at dinnertime, I can drink a whole pot of English Breakfast all by myself. A lovely Chai latte is good any time of the day or year. Combine caffeine, coffee house, reading and writing; I am in absolute heaven. Check out this You Tube video – this is how I start every, delightful day, thanks to the wonderful barista’s at Alterra.

Sorry, got sidetracked. Back to books.

First up in the Coffee House Series will be an interview with F. Scott Savage. Scott is the author of Far World - Water Keep, the first in a four part YA fantasy series. Scott is meeting me at my office at the end of the month, and a review of his book and the interview will be coming up the first week in August. There will also be a book give-away! Scott has autographed a copy of the ARC (advanced reader copy) that I will send to the contest winner. What is the contest? I haven’t figured that out yet; I’ll let you know.

#3 The Coffee House Series.

Sandra Balzo is the author Uncommon Grounds, the first in a delightfully funny series starring Maggie Thorson. Maggie owns a coffee shop, which is what first attracted me to this book. Coincidently, they happen to take place in Brookwood, a pseudonym for a suburb of Milwaukee. Sandra has also agreed to meet me at the Humboldt Café for a chat. I will post a review of the book the day before the interview is posted, in early August. The first book in the series, Uncommon Grounds, will also be given away in a contest. If you enjoy mysteries that make you laugh at the same time, be on the lookout for this.

That is it for the ‘announce’ part of my desk clearing. I will deal with the rest of the catching up, sorting, tossing, cleaning chores by myself. See what a nice clean desk looks like? Now I can really get something done. Or not. Here comes the dog with the leash in her mouth. Oh well.

PlotDog Press and Woof contest winners

Plotdog Press – Writers and Writing by T.L. Raun, runs a Woof Contest every week. Writers send a blog-post to the site, and everyone who enters votes to choose the top five posts. The following are the top five posts that have something to do with writing for this week:

Woof Contest- Top 5 Picks

Short Story - JHS, Esq. - “Independence Day Reflection”

About Writing

Catherine @ Sharp Words - “Thoughts about reviewing books“

Qugrainne - “Climax and the Battle of the Adjectives and the Adverbs“

Fiction - Flash/Fiction - Serial Fiction

Jenn - “The Pseudonym”

Poetry / Collaborative Poetry

Jennifer M Scott - “Independence Day“

Check out these winning posts (each one is linked). Also, I encourage you to add Plotdog to your list of favorites, and enter the contest next week!

Here is my Woof…. she is not thinking about fishing, she is looking at that bird under the tree on the other side. This garden is not a safe place for ground feeders!

‘Fess up Friday … Write on Wednesday, all rolled into one

Of course I have to start with a fun photograph.

Handsome herron on Galway Bay.

I can only blame myself. Too many things going on, and then there is the seductive allure of the internet. Have you ever gotten lost in a large woods? I find myself on a main path, looking for something specific. I get distracted and turn off the main trail, and lose track of the first, and then turn off on another….. Pretty soon I am in the middle of the woods and I don’t know how to get home. Maybe taking breadcrumbs along….

This ‘Fessin-up-Friday sponsored by The Literate Kitten is also a Write-on Wednesday, sponsored by Becca, all being published on Saturday. I think you start to get the idea.

Confessions first.

1. I finished an edit of (and came up with a working title) On the Court With No Shoes. No, sorry, there are no sports involved. After completing this edit, I realized I must rewrite the ending climax. It is blech. My post of 7/8/08 helped me figure that out. Back to the drawing board.
2. Wrote a query letter for above WIP and sent it out to one agent. Said agent is a great guy, and already sent me a polite reject letter. This was done to prime the engine. One down, who knows how many to go!
3. Wrote (very rough draft) a synopsis for WIP. I hate, hate, hate, writing these. They are either too short and include nothing, or end up being a novella themselves. I struggle.
4. Completed a short memoir (1000-2000) words to submit to A Cup of Comfort (series rather like the Chicken Soup stuff). Must edit now for August 1st deadline. It is at 1,924 words right now, so there is room to delete and add what is needed when I revise.
5. Blogged far too much. I don’t like being addicted to anything, so this is bothering me. I may have to take a forced break…..
6. Reading must count! The Watchman by Robert Crais (I love Elvis Cole - who couldn’t, with a name like that), The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett (just found him… really left you hanging with this one, I can’t wait for book three in series), Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (I thought 12 and 13 rather lacked in the out-loud-people-think-you-are-crazy belly laughs, but this one served up nicely), Written in Bone by Simon Beckett (first in the series), and The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson (greatly enjoyed, but with some reservation about the author trying to teach me history at the same time). I am planning to review one of these and post the review this weekend. Obviously, I had a lot of fun reading during the past week and a half.

Raining. Again. Warning - path to garage under water - wear your wellies.

Now to get to the question posted by Becca on Write on Wednesday.

Do you ever feel the need to jump start your writing? What drains the energy from your “writing mind”? What do you do when your creative battery dies?

I have the opposite problem. I usually have too many things going. That may be the key, however, to the dead battery. When I start to flag on one project, there is always another to turn to. This is a kind of a relief for me, and keeps me going. For instance:

Friday morning, I researched some agents and of course many agents request a synopsis with the query letter. As noted earlier, with vehemence, I do not care to write synopses. Gotta do what you gotta do, though. I wrote a synopsis. It was torture, but I wrote it. It was not a final draft, by any means, but it was at least roughly done. Congratulations, Qu. Now you can do something else. What a relief! So, I went on to something else, and rewrote a scene for the current WIP. Done. Put WIP away. Congrats, Qu! For your reward, you can work on a different project. Phew!

I read a couple blogs and wrote to the bloggers - short little comments to let them know I appreciate their writing. That could go on forever, there are so many great blogs. One just has to STOP at some point.

Next, I got to read. Super treat!! And walk the dog, and figure out dinner. After that, I was really good to myself and wrote something new. I didn’t have to go back and torture myself on anything I already worked on earlier in the day. It was so hard to decide, though: should I write a memoir piece, or a query for a history magazine, or, or, or, or. So many topics, so little time. I don’t feel guilty about not writing, because I am the only one who says I have to. My kids don’t depend on it, my checkbook doesn’t depend on it, and the fish in the pond don’t depend on it. I write for myself, so there is no pressure. I suppose it might be different if I had to write….

As far as my advice, or at the very least, my method of solving the dead battery problem: switch to a different vehicle. You don’t have to drive the same thing all the time; break it up occasionally.

Once again, I have to refer to the very timely post from the WOW – Women on Writing Blog, Friday, July 11, 2008. They suggest the writer take a little time every day to write. Don’t worry about huge blocks of time, they don’t necessarily work that well. I find I do have an issue with the time thing. During the summer, when I do not work, I am successful with my large chunk of time. During the school year, I bemoan having bits and pieces of time, and fear I will lose the flow of thought. I will take the advice from WOW to heart this fall.

I leave you with this thought:

Terra Firma says, “There is no problem a nap and a dish of ice cream won’t solve.” I concur.

Climax and the battle of the adjectives and the adverbs

Rain in Ireland, not Milwaukee. It’s raining everywhere!

The torrential rain has ended, the humidity is starting its climb, and I am sitting in my nice, cool, office, sipping a hot cappuccino served by my favorite barisita. Heaven, at least physically, Mentally, not so heavenly. I am in revision mode on a variety of works in progress: a flash fiction piece, a short story, a memoir, a young adult fantasy novel, and a suspense novel. Edit, edit, edit! While all of these pieces are in the hopper, my focus this week has been on the suspense novel. (In the hopper. What is a hopper? I have to look that up….)

In the middle of this process I came across, in my internet meanderings, Darcy Pattison’s 30 Days to a Stronger Novel. (Check out this very helpful site.) The section that initially caught my eye was titled Powerful Endings. I read this not only for the ending of my novel, but to think about the various climatic scenes in the story. There was a lot of good advice:

- Emotional power can be intensified by the setting. A climax can be set in a high place, symbolizing a high point in the story.
- The length of the scene is important. Ideally, it should include some twists, surprises, and be long enough to add suspense, tension and emotion.
- The confrontation should be between protagonist and antagonist – not some minor characters, to make the most of the scene.

These seemed like basic, obvious, wise words, but it was good for me to itemize them and then look at the various mini-climax scenes in my manuscript. One scene in particular stood out as being a wee bit lackluster, so I focused on that. I took this specific scene and thought about word choice, too. A post on the WOW – Women on Writing Blog, had me thinking about adjectives and adverbs: Monday, July 07, 2008 - Annoying or Awesome? Adjectives and Adverbs.

Hmmmmmmmmm….

So I reviewed the rules of grammar at Tameri: Rules for Writers:

- Writers should avoid extra adjectives. We think they serve a purpose, but many writers use adjectives liberally. Let your nouns carry the burden, saving adjectives for moments when emphasis is appropriate.
- Omit adjectives if the noun implies the meaning.
- Avoid using too many adverbs, especially those lacking clarity. Adverbs of time or frequency are the exceptions to this advice; “daily” is better than “every day.” (There is irony in this paragraph.)
- If an adverb implies the same meaning as the verb, omit the adverb. We understand an adverb can emphasize the meaning of a verb, so this is a subjective edit. It might be necessary to replace the verb with a stronger verb before removing the adverb.
- The three most common adverbs in English are: not, very, and too. We suggest writers avoid all three, but sometimes no other words will do.

I went back and took a peek at Bonnie Trenga’s The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier (my favorite grammar rules book). Now I was worried… was I being an adjective pig? I wasn’t too worried about adverbs, but I do adore adjectives. I went back through the scene and highlighted the adjectives and adverbs. Oh, oh. Was I an adverb pig, too? I changed a few things, but there were still quite a few highlighted words. Were there too many? I just couldn’t judge. Where is a writing teacher when you need one? Oh, I am a writing teacher. So why is this so hard? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

The scene itself: it just so happens to be set on a mountain, so I have the “height” for a climax. Is the scene long enough, with twists and turns? Well, there are literally twists and turns, as the protagonist skis down the side of an erupting volcano. It feels tense to me. What do you think?

The confrontation between protagonist and antagonist: we never see the antagonist, but there is definitely a dangerous confrontation.

I have posted this scene for your advice. Is it cleaned up enough? Or are there still too many unnecessary no-no’s? Do I need to strengthen the verbs and get rid of more adverbs? What about adjectives? Too many? Can the nouns stand alone?

The scene follows. Please tell me what you think. Your general opinion and thoughts, and/or ideas addressing the above mentioned concerns would be much appreciated.

Once I had finished my coffee, I packed up again. Continuing onward and upward, I finally came to a vast expanse of snow that peaked in the middle, steam rising from a slight cone. Our guide had mentioned the frequency of Mt. Hekla’s eruptions, but he hadn’t seriously indicated that it might go off today. I set off across the broad field of white towards the steaming cone. The wind began to whip up the brittle snow, and it circled around me furiously. Relentless flakes suddenly and inexplicably started to fall. In an instant, the sky went from blue to cloud covered, and it glowered closely above. The tiny crystals pelted the small bit of skin exposed on my face. I stopped and pulled my neck gator up higher over my mouth and nose. Then I pulled down the goggles that had been sitting on the top of my head. Fortunately, they were clear plastic, because the midday sun was now obscured, and would soon be setting. The wind continued to pick up until the snow was attacking me horizontally. I decided the best bet would be to follow the trail I came up on, back down; steep, but also the shortest. Skiing down would be infinitely easier than skiing up had been. I pushed hard with the poles along the trail, which was quickly becoming obliterated. I reached the first black outcrop of rock, and heard a rumble. Actually, I could feel it with my feet. Was a lava flow soon to follow?

Then there was a sharper noise. A loud “crack.” This didn’t sound like it had anything to do with the volcano; it was a much higher noise and I didn’t feel it through my feet like the rumble that had preceded it. Then the crack came again, and a splinter of rock flew over my head. Then “crack,” and another splinter, closer. Oh for God’s sake, was someone shooting at me? Here, on the top of a volcano in Iceland? And I thought nothing could surprise me at this point. Another splinter of volcanic rock hit the lens of my goggles. I came out of my stupor.

There was no need to search. I knew the shots had to be coming from directly across, where there was another jumble of uncloaked, black lava. My first thought was where is my rifle when I need it? Then my nervous system lurched into overdrive. I pushed off and began threading my way down the path, flanked by the dark, pitted stones of long ago eruptions. I knew another exposed sweep of snow lay ahead, past the next turn. I hoped the person having target practice didn’t have a route as easy to navigate as mine was. I decided not to stop and look, but to just fly out across the unprotected, crystalline plain. The wind would be whipping the snow even more in that unsheltered area, and I just had to hope it would provide me with enough cover. I pressed the edge of my ski into the snow, took the corner quite fast, and came out into the open, tucked low.

When I was away from the protection of the rocks, the wind didn’t howl, but it picked up in velocity. I couldn’t even see the other edge of the field, but I remembered I had to veer a little to my right to round the corner of the mountainside, and then I would be in the protection of another outcrop of the rock. It had taken me a couple hours to get up this high, so it was going to take me a while to get back down to the hut. The snow was blowing furiously, but I figured if it were difficult for me to see, the person targeting me would have an equally difficult time aiming at me. Flying over a few moguls, I caught some air in between as I crossed the wide stretch. I would have felt exhilarated in circumstances that were more agreeable.
I reached the next pile of rock and collapsed against its far side. Was my pursuer matching my stride on the other edge of the mountain face? I peeked out around the corner, but couldn’t see anything but a dark rock formation, perhaps twenty yards away, across the expanse of snow. Another shot ricocheted off the rock above me. Bejesus, how could the bullet hit above me? That meant the person wasn’t across from me anymore. I was now a clear target because they were directly behind me.

I gripped my poles again and pushed off. If I were moving, he would have to keep moving in order to keep me within sight. He couldn’t shoot at me if he were skiing. At least it didn’t seem likely, unless it was James Bond back there. I really wanted to know who this was. A man? A woman?

Another wide field of powder. The good thing was the wind whipped up the snow out in the open. I would at least be less visible when I crossed it. The powder was deep now. I pushed hard, turned the next corner around another bit of hardened lava, and instead of heading down the mountain, I flew straight across the sheet of snow. I thrust with all my strength, and tucked my body down tight to my knees. I reached the opposite jumble of rocks in just a few seconds. Without waiting, I skied around it and started heading back up the hill. I was going to get above this person, and then I would ski down on top of them. Whoever it was would still be looking for me to be going down in front of them.

It was quite a way to the next outcrop of rock that would be above where the shooter had to be. I just had to hope they wouldn’t notice me here, way over on their right. The snow was blowing hard enough so I hoped I was safe. When I reached cover, I stopped to catch my breath. Now I had to scan carefully and decide what route my nemesis was taking. Hopefully, I would be on the tracks of the shooter if I took the same path I had taken just a few minutes earlier, my first time down. I was dismayed to see the blowing snow had erased all tracks. It had seemed the shooter was directly behind me when the last bullets had whizzed past. No sign of anyone below me now. This person was a phantom.

I kept as low as I could, moving slowly with the momentum of my weight and the height of the hill, so I wouldn’t have to pole. I scanned the hill in front of me, every stand of rocks, but saw nothing. Following the same route I had taken moments before, I came upon a sitzmark. The deep indent in the snow showed he – or she - had either fallen, or stopped and laid down to shoot at me.

I continued on carefully, but didn’t see any movement ahead. I knew I had to be getting close to the bottom, and would have to face whether or not to enter the ski hut. It seemed like I had been skiing down the mountainside for hours and hours. My arms were aching and my knees were shaking, when suddenly the hut appeared. It was only fifteen feet in front of me; invisible in the blowing snow until I was almost on top of it. I snowplowed to slow down and skied around to the bench in front. Sitting down quickly to take off my skies, I was thankful the boots had a quick release.

I knew the door to the hut was unlocked, and I stood with my ear glued to it, hoping I wouldn’t hear anything inside. I had to scan the area around me too, in case my friend slipped up behind me again. I held my breath, and with care opened the door. No one visible. I looked behind the door before quietly closing it. Breathe slow and deep Brigid, no time for a panic attack now; not a good idea given the situation. Why hadn’t I listened to Mickey when he warned me off this trip? This manuscript was incredibly important; to me, to women’s history, to the Icelandic people, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to give my life for it. Well, obviously I didn’t want to give my life for it, so I was just going to have to figure out what the hell was going on.

I probably missed some, but you will catch them. Now I have noticed how many times I said was. Was is a no-no too……..

P.S. In my morning’s meanderings, I came across a comment/poem at BookEnds, posted by H.L. Dyer, and I just had to look up the source of the poem. School House Rocks, of course!!

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here.
Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, got some adverbs here.
Come on down to Lolly’s, get the
adverbs here
You’re going to need
If you write or read,
Or even think about it.

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get you’re adverbs here.
Got a lot of lolly, jolly adverbs here.
Anything you need and we can make it absolutely clear…

An adverb is a word
(That’s all it is! And there’s a lot of them)
That modifies a verb,
(Sometimes a verb and sometimes)
It modifies an adjective, or else another adverb
And so you see that it’s positively, very, very necessary.

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here.
Father, son, and Lolly selling adverbs here.
Got a lot of adverbs, and we make it clear,
So come to Lolly! (Lolly, Lolly, Lolly)

Visiting the library - take a trip to milwaukee

Some people are guilty of taking the simple pleasures in life for granted. I am as guilty as the next person. One thing I do not take for granted, however, is my library. My library is a living, breathing thing; my dear friend. On this perfect, rainy day, I have to share the pleasures with you, as a kind of thank you to my friend.

The Milwaukee Public Library system has a central library which is located downtown, and twelve branch libraries across the city. I have been to most of them, but “my” library is the Central Library. It has a long history. In 1847, the Young Men’s Association rented space in various locations for their subscription library, and they collected dues from their members. They also sponsored a lecture series, with speakers as well known as Horace Mann, Horace Greeley, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

In 1878 the State Legislature authorized the city to establish a public library. This entity took over the Association’s location and their collection of 10,000 volumes, many of which were written in German. In 1898, a national competition was held to choose a design for a building that would house the library and the museum. The winning design, by Ferry & Clas of Milwaukee, was a combination of French and Italian renaissance, called Neo-renaissance.

The museum and the library companionably shared this space until the mid-60’s when the museum built their own building on the next street over. There is a much more complete history of the library on its website, if you are so inclined to learn more.

Author and National Public Radio book commentator Nancy Pearl named Milwaukee Public Library’s Central Library as one of her favorite public libraries in the United States. Her comments posted to the USA Today website on March 6, 2008:

Two things that make a visit here most unforgettable are the grand staircase and the domed rotunda that separates the building’s east and west wings. The library has all the bells and whistles that today’s modern users expect, yet it still gives the impression of being a cherished old friend.

That’s it, exactly. A cherished old friend. Last Thursday I yelled to my kids as I was heading out the door, “I’m going to the library. I’ll be home in an hour.” My daughter shouted from her room upstairs, “Mom, you were just there on Monday. What the heck?” I said, defensively, “So?” and went on my cheerful way, looking forward to the coming adventure. Look at the slide show, and you will see what I mean.

This is a library that houses a rare book collection, a local history and research room, an Art, Music and Recreation Department, a huge children’s collection, a Business, Technology and Periodicals Area, computer classes, and Ready Reference. The list goes on and on, but you get the picture now. The Creme de la creme - librarians so ready and willing to help you, you’ll think you died and went to heaven!

Milwaukee has so much to offer its residents, as well as visitors. If you are ever in town, don’t limit your visit to Summerfest or the lovely Art Museum. Stop at the Central Library, too.

Write-on-Wednesday

My relationship with my father was a stereotypical ‘love and hate.’ He had very high expectations for those around him, and I, being the first child, received the focus of those expectations. And I never felt I met them. Now, this may be on me. I have no idea, because he died when I reached adulthood, so we were never able to discuss it. I do know that he never told me I did well, looked good, tried hard enough, or congratulations on a job well done. (My mom told me all of those things, so I didn’t grow up totally warped!) In retrospect, I suspect a disappointment in his own accomplishments fueled his drive to drive me.

I did not gain a level of confidence in myself until long after he was gone, and I was in the process of nurturing the egos of my own children. It was at that point my self-esteem took off, and I haven’t looked back since. There were various building blocks along the way, and it was with very conscious effort and plan that I built that confidence.

So here we are at the Write on Wednesday prompt for the week:

Are you ever assailed with self-doubt about your writing ability, or about the reasons for writing at all? Do you “follow yourself around nagging and suggesting and complaining”? What are some of the negative things your Editor tells you? What could your Editor say to be more encouraging? How do you encourage yourself to keep practicing the craft of writing?

There are quite a few questions you asked us, Becca!

Which brings me back to my father, and why I mentioned him in the first place. He said many things to me, at the most appropriate times. One piece of advice he gave me was, “You can do anything you want.” Wow. For someone who never said, “nice job,” that sure was a vote of confidence! But I took the advice to heart, and went with it. And I have done pretty much everything I wanted to do, once I truly made the decision to do it. That was the key, I found. You can’t just say, I want to be the mayor, and then sit back and wait for it to happen. But if you say that, come up with a plan for doing it, enlist the people you need to help you, set to work, and work really, really hard at it, anything is possible. And in the long run, maybe you won’t be elected mayor, but what you learn, the people you meet, the things you accomplish on the way, might just turn out to be the goal you were reaching for, to begin with.

I started out, as a child, thinking I would grow up to be a writer and an artist. A bunch of people told me my work was crap on the way to being an adult, and I believed them. Once I found myself, however, I realized it didn’t matter what they said, and I decided I could do anything I wanted. So if you ask me today, and what do you do? Writer and artist will be in the list.

Queries for the first book I wrote have come back rejected, but I am undaunted. I just need to work harder, practice more, and get some advice. I love writing. When I am not writing on paper, I am writing in my mind. I could write all day. I could write for a job, if someone would pay me! I don’t need prompting because I enjoy the process and that is reason enough to continue. I think that is the best reason to continue.

For encouragement, I try to stay focused on positive thought, and just have fun. I try to look at the positives and not the negatives. My son sometimes points out that I am positive almost to the point of being a little crazy. His grandma always told him not to expect much, because then you won’t be disappointed. I laugh at that. If I expect a lot, I enjoy myself along the way, and very often find that what I wish for or expect is what I get! My cup isn’t just half-full, it is overflowing!

In Cheryl Richardson’s newsletter, Coach on Call, she posts a mid-year, June 30th life review. I think these are some fabulous questions to help keep me focused on my skills, talents, blessings, friends, and good-luck:

1.What hidden part of you have you awakened this year?
2. What positive changes have you made to your home or office?
3. Are you getting your creative needs met? How?
4. What changes have you made to better honor your integrity?
5. Have you added any small pleasures to your life? If so, what are they?
6. Have you forgiven yourself for something you did that’s been bugging you?
7. How have you taken better care of your body, your mind, or your heart?
8. How have you been a better partner, spouse, friend, or co-worker?
9. What have you done to help others improve the quality of their lives?
10. Are you letting things be easy?

While answering these questions, Cheryl suggests that you focus on the positive, not the negative. What is working? Acknowledge your successes to build your self-esteem. She says,

The greatest gift we give to humanity is our commitment to constantly raise our level of consciousness. Each week, as you take one simple step to live a healthier, more creative life, you do just that. This is important work and you deserve to celebrate your success.

Cheryl also has a Take Action Challenge which I wholeheartedly encourage every one to take part in:

Make a list of at least five positive changes you’ve made so far this year. Open a file on your computer right now labeled “My Success List” and put the five items on the list (add it to a prior list if you’ve done this before :). It’s extremely important to put this list in writing. By doing so, you send a message to yourself that you’re worth the time and energy. And, when your self-worth increases, the world responds accordingly. You become a magnet for better life experiences.

I am going to sit down and make my list right now, along with answering those mid-year, ten questions for myself. I am sure my dad is watching, and nodding his head right now, saying, “You did well. I am proud.”

What would you put on your list? Go ahead, share your success with us!

And while you think about it, take a look at my garden today.

Sorry. Got a little carried away! I hope you have a great - Write On Wednesday - day!

P.S.  I have been so, so, remiss.  I was thinking about this on the way home, and I have to add something.  On the one hand, I think one has to have self confidence to perservere.  It also helps to have a great support system that bolsters my self confidence, and I should have mentioned that.  So, thanks to neighbors, friends, and family, for supporting me so well!