Not Like the Others

People think I'm weird. I know they do and no, it's not the underlying paranoia speaking. The sideways glances and tiny quirk of the eyebrows give it away every time.

Honestly, they are probably right. I am different and isn't that what being weird is -- not fitting between the parameters which makes a person normal?

Top 5 reasons for my weirdness:
1 - I'm a writer. No explanation necessary.

2 - I hate chocolate. Even through the computer, the collective gasp of disbelief astounds me. Why do people dig that stuff anyway? Sour Patch Kids are so much tastier.

3 - I drive a stick shift. Apparently, this is not normal for a married, thirty year-old woman.

4 - I turn hermit from time to time. Yeah, it's inconvenient, but it is what it is. (cringe)

5 - I despise cliches and over-used phrases (like the end of number 4).

So, what makes you weird?

Rant #1 – Customer Complaints

Why is it when people complain about something they always say:

“Well, I never complain. Really. I never do, it’s just… (insert annoying comment here).”
Um, then why’d you start now? Yeah. I don’t believe you.

OR

“I have decades of service experience. I’ve even run my own company, so I KNOW what good service is.”
Good for you. Now get on with it.

OR

“In this economy, you’d think (insert annoying company name here) would want to keep LOYAL customers like me.”
Uh huh. This is usually the person who spent the least.

Please, people. Saying these things won’t make your case any stronger. All they do is aggravate the person on the other end of the line who is essentially trying to help you. Stop complaining already and no, you’re not getting a free (insert annoying company product here).

A Matter of Trust

I finished reading a book a few days ago by bestselling author Rebecca Wells (don’t worry, the review is coming) and it dawned on me that I didn't scrutinize the words at all. My normal skepticism faded and I just enjoyed her work. I didn’t debate the use of passive verbs. There was no analysis of the repetitive concepts. Nothing.

Then it hit me – I trusted her.

I trusted Ms. Wells to create the right setting. I trusted her to choose the right words. Most of all, I trusted her to carry me through the entire story, letting me believe her characters were living, breathing people with real wants and needs. (How’s that for repetition?)

So, what makes us trust an author?

Is it status or education? What about sales figures – do they factor into our decision?

I would love to believe that if you’ve proven yourself to be a competent writer, readers will give themselves to the story without question. But, alas, that is not the way it is. I’ve read several books by people considered “great” and I still find myself nit-picking the technique. For example, why would they elect to use a “to be” verb when an active one would have been so much cleaner? Or what’s with all the stinkin’ adverbs?

It’s a conundrum really. Any thoughts out there in cyberspace?

King of Pop

They laid him to rest today. Or was it yesterday?

It doesn't matter. I didn't know the man. I only knew his music.

Michael Jackson, whether you liked him or not, inspired people around the world. For me, his songs play like a soundtrack for the memories flickering in and out of focus.

Sitting on a porch step, watching the orange and pink of sunset bleed across blue. Schoolmates run around me while I take refuge in my thoughts. "Human Nature" rings in my ears, emanating from plastic headphones attached to my Sony Walkman -- the yellow one. Only the cool kids have the yellow one.

Hiding at my friend's house on Halloween, anxious to jump out and startle her little brother. He wants to be Batman. We want to be Catwoman. "Thriller" starts, coming from a TV in the back bedroom. We're distracted by the beat. Super-heroes fade and only dancing zombies exist.

My best-friend-in-the-whole-world, Heidi, and I sing "Gone Too Soon" at our Junior High graduation. My throat closes while saying, "Dying with the rising of the moon." Tears burn and I am now aware of time's determination to only race forward. No going back.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson.

Happy 4th of July!

On a road trip to Mammoth, but wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day weekend!

Where liberty dwells, there is my country.
~Benjamin Franklin

Unforgettable Story of Forgetting

Whew! I completed the second week of my consulting gig and believe me, I am tired. I'd forgotten what a set schedule can do to a person. I mean, who gets up before 11am?

Oh, right. I do now.

Anyway, I finished reading a fantastic novel this week titled, The Story of Forgetting.

Plot:
Told from two perspectives that are at once nearly polar and intimately linked, this astounding debut captures an air of the fantastical while presenting one family's heartfelt battle with Alzheimer's. Seth Waller is a 15-year-old Austin, Tex., science nerd determined to discover the reason behind his mother's recent mental breakdown. Abel Haggard, living on his family farm just past the Dallas suburbs, is an aging recluse roiled by memories of his one true love: Mae, his brother Paul's wife. The two had a torrid affair while Paul served in Korea, forcing Mae to conceal the paternity of her baby when she became pregnant. Both Seth and Abel speak of a fantasy land named Isidora, which exists outside of our physical world, but which becomes a common thread in piecing this delicately woven story together. Each character is a product of a different time and place, but as Seth delves deeper into his scientific investigation and Abel's troubled life is further revealed, the two stories meet in an emotional and memorable climax. Block displays an innate gift for developing believable characters each with his own distinct voice. The result is a story that's compulsive and transporting.

Review:
Though sometimes highly scientific, the story, with its tense subject matter and character interactions, moved at a terrific pace. I remained riveted from the first page onward. The interjections of Isidora, a fairytale passed down through generations, flowed along the main plot like a bubbling stream winding through a meadow.

From a writing perspective, the technique was clean and effective. I felt like I knew the characters and empathized with them at every step.

A word of caution – this book is not for a young audience. There are mature themes as well as lengthy descriptions of a disease that kills mental function at an early age.

Side Note:
This is author Stephan Merrill Block's debut novel. Amazing.

Grade: A-

Music and Writing

Hello, fellow wordsmiths!

I've been thinking about the process of writing. Everyone's approach is different. For me, I like to lock myself away and listen to music while creating or editing. Time and responsibilities fall away, leaving only me and the words to drift along in harmony.

How do you write? Does music help you?

Last week, my friend and I debated the influence of lyrics on prose. As much as I can tell, lyrics don't tend to bleed into my passages as much as they inspire a certain feeling or mood, but I can see how distracting words sung in succession might be. We both decided that listening to movie soundtracks was a good compromise. With that in mind, I've recently discovered a few inspirational soundtracks that have helped me with the Elementalist Series. They are:

Solaris

Revolutionary Road

The International

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Bram Stoker's Dracula

I'm always looking for more music suggestions. Please send some recommendations my way. :)