Drum roll, please

Here are the contest details that you either have no idea what I'm talking about, have a vague interest in seeing, or have been waiting for. The contest to receive a free book Jackson & Central- An Anthology will be underway as soon as the first entry hits my inbox. It is to be a flash fiction piece, judged by myself and members of my writer's group, with a maximum length of 500 words. Two word minimum since the only other stipulation is that somewhere in the piece must be the word 'Jackson' and the word 'Central', not necessarily together.  You have up to one week to complete your entry (next Tuesday night, October 25th). There is usually wine flowing at our meetings so humor is always good but we love sci-fi, thriller, and other genres too. Consider this a what-have-you-got-to-lose challenge. Please send your entries to nancygraveswahler@gmail.com

To whet your appetite for the prize, let me tell you a bit about it. First, I can guarantee you will love at least one story in this book.  I just don't know which one because I love all of them. The poetry, I think I am not smart enough to get the nuances that make people love poetry but, some people really like it. But the short stories are awesome. From Rusty Webb's tale of lost love and war, to Jayne Morgan's story about a blind, mountain healer who may be one family's last hope. There's also Mahaila Smith's spin on two Mormons getting more than they bargained for after knocking on one door and Toni Powell's powerful telling of how childhood leukemia can define how life is lived (she writes this so well, one of her readers insisted it must have happened to Toni which made her very irritated that the reader didn't seem to understand the concept of fiction). If you don't love at least one of these, well, since you're getting it for free I guess you can just feel very superior and thumb your nose at me while I sit in shock and secretly think to myself that you didn't really read it. Fair warning, it is probably not a book to give to grandma (unless you have a very liberal grandma) as there are adult language and themes in some of the stories. In the front, it tells you which stories those are. Although to be fair, my sci-fi story got a warning just because of some brain removal and eugenic type government policies.

I'm looking forward to seeing your spin.

The Agony and The Ecstasy

of watching your six-year-old play baseball. Three weeks ago, my son made his first (and to this date only) run at his little league game. He came running over to the chain-link fence after it, his face bright and hopeful. He grasped the fence and yelled to me.

"I did it, Mom. Did you see?" His joy became complete when I assured him how wonderful he'd done. I also know, as his parent, I could have beaten his joy down. Words are powerful which is why so many of us love to write.

 I don't know how many of you saw the Mel Gibson movie Forever Young but in it, there is a line where he says about his girlfriend, who has gone into a coma, that nothing is real until he tells her about it. I think that is why I miss my mom so much. Tomorrow, she will have been gone eight months. She was the person who made things real for me. Sometimes a little too real like when she would read a story of mine and then say, "it's not my favorite," without ever sharing what that favorite might be. But also letting it be okay that if I take the time to write and parent then my house will never be without toys, backpacks, or dog bones that must be stepped around to traverse most rooms.

I know I write my stories because I like to take the ideas that are running around in my head and see if I can make them coherent on paper but I also crave that external validation. I also wonder if that is why many writers seek publication. Too few authors make a living at it for it to be for the money. Maybe I need someone else's approval to make me a "real" writer.

Speaking of which, ideas are percolating about that contest I mentioned yesterday, details to come soon.

Suggestions?

I need to come up with a contest. There is a link at the bottom of my page to a fantastic, little known, book called Jackson and Central. It is an anthology that really does have in it something for everyone. I probably wouldn't know anything about it except that I am one of the contributors.

While I have to admit, I love the two stories I have in there. I've even been approached about turning one of them into a short film (not that I have written the screenplay yet- refer to the weeks of blogs about deaths of parents and grieving for explanation of what I have been doing instead). Although when I look back at them now I see so much I would change but I don't think my stories are the best ones. So I want to offer to send out ONE copy, completely free, including shipping to anyone that can .......what? Or the first person that....?

I plan to come up with the contest by the end of this week but would love some feedback on what you have seen work other places.

Eternal Monday of the cluttered mind

Yes, the title is a nod to one of my favorite movies but this is what I wondered. If one worked five different jobs, each on the next successive day, would that be like having five Mondays? Each morning struggling to pull on the role needed for that day. I guess fifth Monday would still be the end of the work week so a cause for celebration, so maybe things wouldn't be that different.

I feel like I have so many different things going on that I never get a good handle on the first thing. As soon as I get one role to fit well, I think it is time to try on another. Then it gets to the point where I have all these roles lying around- (mom, wife, writer, teacher, friend, social worker, director, homemaker) and I can barely begin squeezing into one suit before it is time to abandon it in favor of a different one. Hey, maybe that is where the extra weight has come from, wearing too many roles.

It's on my mind because, even though the calender says Tuesday, it really feels like a Monday to me and not in a good, look how much time I have to accomplish things, way. It is gray, chilly, and raining outside. Environmental mood setters that rarely bring spontaneous joy, unless you are a vampire who sparkles in the sun I guess. I'd ask Stephanie Meyer, if I knew her.

I have three things on my must do list today, in addition to the general child care things. The first is to finish this blog (almost done), next to do my karate forms as I am preparing for the black belt, and finally to write at least one paragraph on my new story. I hope much more will flow forth but I plan to do at least one. Surely, I can fit two more things in. Oh yeah, and a shower since we had three extra kids sleep over last night and I had to make lunches for all of them this morning.

Religious Persecution-really still?

I am probably one of the most apolitical people you will meet. Don't get me wrong. I have opinions, lots of them. But most of the time, I know, I have absolutely no factual basis for what I believe (not to say there isn't one) but I haven't taken the time to find out one way or another so I won't argue much.

However, I will say, without fear of being accused of ignorance, that putting someone to death because of what they believe theologically is WRONG. You all may be completely aware of this if you are not a news ostrich like me. There is a Christian pastor in Iran that has been sentenced to death for not recanting his faith.  Here is a link to a blogger that does seem like someone who has done his research.
http://blog.chron.com/partisangridlock/2011/09/iranian-pastor-sentenced-to-death-for-apostasy/

I was shocked to hear about this. I'm still wondering if there is an angle to this story that I don't know about. I think too often I insulate myself in my safe bubble of familiarity knowing that stuff like that doesn't happen in my country. But, is it really okay to forget that it still happens other places?

I went to church today and practiced my Christian beliefs. I didn't have to. I could have stayed home lying in bad. Or I could have gone and met with the group that is building the mosque a few miles away or listened to Hebrew in the synagogue or to the top of the mountain to sing Kumbaya. People could judge me, talk about me or if they wanted to say I couldn't worship with them, but nobody is going to kill me. At least not about that and not in a government sanctioned attack. So, whatever you did today or yesterday or anytime this year to celebrate your God or lack of it, be thankful you live in a place that isn't going to kill you over it.

I hate the frappin cold

First, let me say, Welcome Chris. I was very excited to see a new follower along with my beloved 12. In part, because when narcissitically blogging, as I do, I want numerical verification that someone is willing to read the words but also because she is one of my best friends from Knoxville. Comments from any and all would also be great. But I digress from my intended plan of griping about the cold.

When my husband and I were first dating he discovered I had an interesting habit during cold months. I would get in the car and scream. This was usually a reaction to my pants touching the back of my legs when I sat down. Followed immediately by saying, "I'm cold, I'm cold, I'm cold, " at escalating volumes.

This ritual to deal with the weather dated back to childhood in emulation of my mother. I also did it if in the car by myself. He tolerated this in the early days but, this habit of mine, was one of the things that had to go in pursuit of an actual relationship. Jeff couldn't handle the screaming in the confined space. I guess that bodes well for me in terms of never having to worry about him murdering me in a closet. But he no longer has to hear it, only my children. I still do it when I'm by myself too.

Which leads me to discuss the weather. I realize it has only gotten down to 40 but that is just a precursor of the cold that is to come. Months and months of potential chapped lips, searching for gloves, and chill bumps. The only good thing I can say about it is it kills mosquitos.

TA not T and A in Writing Stories

I've always wondered if my training as a psychotherapist had impacted the way I see characters. I know I have an easier time writing in first person than I do in third person. I tend to get a bit clinical in third person. Whereas in the first person, I am practicing walking in the person's shoes, something that is encouraged if you want to sit with people in pain and try to get a sense of where they are. You have to be careful with that because it isn't the best idea to curl up on the floor and cry with your client but I think you know what I mean. Turns out, the answer to that writing question is a definite yes.

I've mentioned the book I have been reading on how to write short stories. Writing the Short Story A Hands-On Program by Jack M. Bickham who writes for Writer's Digest. In the last chapter I read he talks about Transactional Analysis (TA). It is rather like the id, ego, and superego I discussed a few days ago but different in that it deals with the conscious state.

To briefly summarize, TA postulates that we all have three different modes of operating from. They are the Adult State, the Parent State, and the Child State. How we (or our characters) act depends on what state they are in. BTW, this is a great thing to do in marital therapy because a lot of couples get stuck in one person always being in the Parent and the other in the Child which grows wearisome for both if they don't recognize it. When I try to tell my husband to get off the computer he has been on there too long. I have left the adult state with him and moved to the parental one. Surprisingly, he resents this :) which can lead to an argument depending on which state he is in.

The author suggests if you have a boring scene between two characters, they are probably both in the Adult state, so change the states one or both of them are operating from. The child state is usually guaranteed to generate some conflict as that is the "I want," me, me, me state.

The author also points out that TA teaches about life scripts. This is that you decide very early on what kind of person we are going to be and how are life is going to go and then we make sure our life fits that script even if it leads us to some dire situations. So, maybe I am using that Master's Degree after all. If nothing else, it gave me a nice superior moment when I read the chapter since I already knew the information.

Several people have said they have been having trouble posting on here. If you have been trying to post but have been having trouble, let me know so we can figure it out. I would love to hear your comments. I am on fb and my email is nancygraveswahler@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.