Tag Archives: writing

Birds of Arizona–Update

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Birds

Great Horned Owl chicks

Great Horned Owl chicks

Wild birds are seen more often than the members of any other vertebrate wildlife group.  Birds include more species than the other groups, they occur in more habitats than most of the others, and they are more active during daylight hours, and during winter when other groups hide or sleep.  Add the visibility of their colors, distinction of their songs, and variations of their flight patterns, and you will understand why bird checklists are more common than checklists for other species.

The U. S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center website (website link in References) provides 29 bird checklists for small areas around Arizona.  The lists include seasonal occurrence and other information.  The WildBirds website owned by Thayer Birding Software provides online field guides with songs and video.  The Arizona Bird Committee (ABC) provides printable state and county checklists.  The links are in the Arizona Bird Reference list below.

Numbers of Birds

World:  10,000
*North America:  1025
*Arizona birds:  548
Arizona birds at risk of extinction:  264
*Approximately 10% are introduced or of uncertain status

Arizona Bird Conservation

Naturalists sometimes think of birds as useful indicators of general environmental conditions; the ‘canary in the coal mine’ idea.  In 2011, the Audubon Society reported that the annual Christmas Bird Count records showed that many species were declining.  For example, over the past 50 years, sightings of Loggerhead Shrikes, a common species throughout Arizona, declined by 72 percent.  Our canary has begun to sway. Continue reading →

Evil Characters in Science Fiction, #Writing, #SciFi

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Evil Characters

Black Widow (CDC)Antagonist characters are often evil.  In fantasy, evil characters are born, but in science fiction and most popular fiction, evil characters develop with experience.  Authors don’t have to detail the experiences, but they probably should have them in mind so they can write coherent characters.

Evil can be mild or extreme.  Some of the familiar expressions of mild evil are envy, insult, jealousy, sarcasm, physical violence, and the selfishness that lets an individual place its interests above the interests of others.  At their least extreme, these behaviors are merely irritating.  At their most extreme, they are dangerous.

Experiments (e.g., The Stanford Prison Experiment) have demonstrated the “situational” nature of evil.  They have shown that circumstances can produce evil behavior with frightening speed.  Because of this, evil is commonplace.  Fortunately, evil rapidly induced, just as rapidly fades.  Hannah Arendt discussed how the “banality of evil” could cause ordinary people to produce something as extreme as the Holocaust.

Nancy Kress describes five types of villains in her book “Dynamic Characters.”  My evil characters are Kress’s ‘examined’ characters.  A term she uses to refer to characters whose experiences you must describe sufficiently to explain and justify the character’s behavior.  As always, Kress makes useful suggestions, and I recommend reading her comments as you build your evil villain.

Evil behavior is often permanent.  Fortunately, evil that is both extreme and permanent requires long bouts of extreme experiences and is therefore uncommon; serial murderers, arsonists, and so forth are rare.  I think of extreme cases of permanent evil as true evil.  Truly evil characters are pure.  They have no altruistic traits.  They will use you for security, fun, and food.  Since they have their own special moral code, they will not feel guilt for their behavior.  They will suffer a sinner’s remorse only if they let you escape or if they fail to make the best use of you.

Here is an excerpt from Corr Syl the Warrior that shows how true evil can develop:  Lactella (click the name then click the excerpt link on the page that appears).

Unlinked Reference

Kress, N.  2004.  Dynamic characters:  How to create personalities that keep readers
captivated.  Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, OH.  264 p.

Hashtags: #CorrSyl, #TheTsaeb, #RhyaBright, #GarryRogers

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Hashtags Are Great

Hashtags help us sift through internet communications to find information on the topics we like.  When you see an interesting hashtag on Facebook or Twitter, click it to see more posts that include it.

Upon the advice of Laura Pepper Wu, I am introducing four hashtags for my fictional world of the Tsaeb.  The first, #CorrSyl, is pretty obvious.  It relates to the published book “Corr Syl the Warrior” and to the book in progress, “Corr Syl the Terrible.”  #TheTsaeb is cool because it refers to the fictional world of #CorrSyl, #RhyaBright, and many others.  Of course, #GarryRogers is there to catch comments on my writing.

Send Garry Rogers an email or reply to this post in the comment field at the bottom.

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Nested Stories By Secondary Characters

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Stories Told by Secondary Characters

NGarryRogers.comested stories are common literary devices.  Some writing texts advocate treating every chapter as a separate story with a beginning and an end.  Nested stories can be standalone chapters, but they are usually stories narrated by characters within the framework of a chapter.  A character within the main story might recall an experience, or they might tell a fictional story of their own.

I like nested stories; they are fine places to give readers glimpses of hidden themes and character motivations.  They can add evidence for the reality of the main story.  I gave an example in an earlier post about stories told by the protagonist.  Here is an example of a nested story involving secondary characters in the novel Corr Syl the Warrior (#CorrSyl).  The story provides support for subsequent actions within the main story.

News of Allon

As Allysen and two fighters trotted past a picnic area near the new military base, a Danog woman waved them over. 

“Hello.  Do you have a moment?”

Allysen focused.  The woman seemed worried, and she wanted help from Tsaeb.  Odd.  Allysen introduced her group and asked how she could help. Continue reading →

The True Beauty of Book Covers

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Book Covers:  Behind the Beauty

GarryRogers.comI only recently began to question the old line, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.”  Having never really given the subject any thought, I always assumed that the sole purpose of a book cover was to attract buyers.  I thought of it as an advertising gimmick that served a commercial purpose and had nothing to do with the quality of the story.  I felt that plain covers might be more honest and desirable.

When I completed my first novel, “Corr Syl the Warrior,” my attitude changed.  I was concerned that since I had no reputation at all, there might be no readers.  I was confident that some readers would like the story, but I was feared that those readers might never stumble upon the book.  I decided that I needed a snazzy cover.

The only thing I knew about eBook cover design was that the fonts had to be legible at thumbnail sizes.  Other than that, I assumed a book-cover designer would create something attractive that would appeal to potential buyers.  I checked a few websites for examples, and chose a designer that had made some science fiction covers.  I provided a one-paragraph book description and a few pictures, and sat back to see what she would produce.

The designer did a great job with what I gave her.  She proposed a few options, suggested colors and fonts, and ended up doing a beautiful job.  Along the way, I thought more about book covers and realized that I had missed an opportunity.  I began looking closely at the covers on the books on my shelves and I realized that book covers could play a significant role in telling a story.

With shapes, colors, and text, a cover could set a mood and it could illustrate important story elements.  An author could use the cover to foreshadow important events within the story.  I realized that the cover could also help define characters, give a real glimpse of a setting, and give clues to the story theme.

The first book I read to myself, “Tarzan the Terrible,” has gone through numerous printings since its publication in 1921.  And it has had at least 20 different covers.  The covers range from simple text to images that seem unrelated to the story, and to images that illustrate important scenes and the story theme.

Tarzan the Terrible

Tarzan the Terrible

As a child, I often wondered what the image on the cover was.  I imagined several possibilities, and finally settled on one.  I think it depicts a particular scene in the story.  I could be wrong.  If you think you know what the image is, add a comment.

Book covers can be more than mere advertising, or even works of art.  They can be beautiful, informative, and suggestive all at once.  A cover designer might achieve all that, but a designer working together with the book’s author is more likely to take full advantage of the opportunity the cover provides.  If the author can describe what the cover could show, a good designer can probably put it together.

So, can you tell a book by its cover?  YES, if the author takes the time to help with its composition.

Send an email to Garry Rogers or make a public comment using the reply field below the email form.

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Nested Stories told by the Protagonist #indieauthor #LitChat

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Nested Stories told by the Protagonist

The protagonist in a novel often imagines or recalls events that are not part of the main story.  Nesting small stories within a story is a common literary device sometimes referred to as mise en abyme.  An article in Wikipedia discusses the many types of nested stories.  Here I am referring to stories narrated by a protagonist and nested well with a main story. 

Nesting self-contained stories within a larger narrative is probably as old a technique as story telling itself.  The storyteller often draws the story from a remembered experience, but sometimes tells a fictional story heard or invented.  A nested story may make up the bulk of a chapter; it can even stand alone, seemingly unrelated to the main story.  Steinbeck uses the latter in his depiction of the two boys in Chapter 26 in Cannery Row. 

Some books are composed entirely of stand-alone stories framed by a unifying plot.  Canterbury Tales and One Thousand and One Nights are examples.  Collections of children’s stories such as Winnie the Pooh are similar, but repeating characters, not the plot unite them.  One of my projects is a collection of children’s stories united by a single character whose excesses of ego and poor judgment, creates circumstances that form the plot for each story. 

Nested stories serve many purposes.  Steinbeck used them to give insights to his theme.  The stories can also show character motivations and they can reveal details of history and background for the main story.  Thus, they can support the reality of the main story. 

Here is an example of a nested story told by the protagonist in the novel Corr Syl the Warrior.  It is contained within a chapter, and it is obvious fiction.  It serves to elaborate on the background of the protagonist’s culture and his occupation, and it foreshadows a tragic scene involving the protagonist and a childhood friend. Continue reading →

Welcome Michael Thal

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Welcome to Author Michael Thal’s Interview

Michael Thal

Michael Thal and Muriel Freedman holding Goodbye Tchaikovsky.

My guest today is author Michael Thal.  Michael’s books range from technical nonfiction to novels for young readers.  He has published three novels, and articles in over 80 magazines.  Solstice Publishing has accepted his fourth novel, Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback, a sequel to The Legend of Koolura.

Interview

  1. Tell our readers about yourself.  I grew up on Long Island, New York in Freeport, a small town about thirty miles from New York City. After high school and college I migrated to California to get away from the cold. I taught public school for twenty-eight years until one morning I awoke to a profound silence. My hearing grew worse over the next few years until the hearing aides didn’t help much in the classroom. I re-evaluated my goals, learned the trade of the freelance writer, and started to write full time.
  1. Tell us why you write.  Initially, I wrote science fiction. My first published novel was The Light: An Alien Abduction. However, a few years after its publication, the publisher went south. When my oldest daughter reached sixth grade, she hated to read. I asked, “If you had one book you’d like to read, what would it be like?”
    She said, “Cool.”
    So I wrote The Legend of Koolura.
    Since my hearing loss, I’ve written a lot about Deaf issues. One such piece, “The Lip Reader” won first prize in Writer’s Digest’s 73rd Annual Writing Competition. I try to show people the strength and courage of hearing impaired and deaf people. Their story needs to be told.
  2. What do you like most about writing?  I like the freedom it gives me. I can determine my own schedule, work when I want, and go to sleep when I want. As a teacher, I lived under a tight agenda planned by the school. Sometimes it felt like prison. As a freelance writer, I feel free.
  1. What do you like least about writing?  Getting that first word on paper can prove daunting. Once that is achieved, the rest falls in place.
  2. What kind of personal goals have you set for yourself?  My primary goal was to be the best father I could be. I know I have met that goal from feedback from my daughters. A few years ago, when my oldest daughter graduated from college she wrote, “You taught me persistence, dedication, and diligence. I learned from you to strive for my goals and to never give up. No matter how tough life was for you, you always approached every situation with great courage, hope and a big smile. Thank you for creating the person I am today.”
  3. Tell us about your publishing plans.  Royal Fireworks Press published Goodbye Tchaikovsky last year. (It’s a book about a twelve-year-old boy, a violin virtuoso, who loses his hearing.) Last spring Goodbye Tchaikovsky won Honorable Mention in the 2012 Hollywood Book Festival. Recently, I found out it also won Honorable Mention in the Paris Book Festival. This fall, Solstice Publishing will be publishing the sequel to The Legend of Koolura, Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback. Currently, I’m working on Koolura and the Mayans.
  4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  Within 5 years I’d like for my Koolura series to be popular with kids. Koolura is a wonderful role model, a young girl whose personality is a mix of my daughters Channie and Koren.  
  5. What do you do to combat Writer’s Block? I keep a file of ideas.  Many times I have thoughts or dreams. I write them down and file them away. If writer’s block strikes, I re-read an idea and work from there.
  6. What gives you the idea for a story?  I get my ideas from dreams, reading the newspaper, magazines, or watching a movie. For example, a few years ago I watched “Fever Pitch,” which reminded me of my dating problems when I was in my twenties. From that I wrote “The Curse of the Brazilian.”
  7. What motivates you to write?  Writing is my job. When I get up in the morning, I go to my computer, check my preassigned schedule, and write.
  8. How do you handle the dreaded Rejection Letter?  Now a days it’s more like a rejection e-mail. I’m happy when I get one; at least someone gave my work a look. The submissions that get ignored are what really bother me.
  9. Do you find that a critique helps to strengthen your work?  For sure. When I first started writing I formed a writing group, Crits International. We submitted our work to our website, critiqued our writing, and made revisions. Since then I decided a group meeting face-to-face would be better, so I organized the San Fernando Valley Critique Group. My writing has improved exponentially thanks to the feedback of my fellow critters.
  10. What words of encouragement would you have for someone just starting out?  Write down those dreams, then, write them again. Never give up, and go through life with a smile. Even when you speak to someone on the phone, wear that smile. They can hear it in your voice. You’ll be happier with yourself, and with everyone else.

Here’s where you can learn more about Michael Thal and buy his books.

Michael’s Author website: http://www.michaelthal.com

 

Reminder: Michael Thal Interview

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Michael Thal Tomorrow

The Legend of Koolura

The Legend of Koolura

Stop by tomorrow and learn more about Michael Thal and the novels he writes.

Michael Thal, Author Interview

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Meet Author Michael Thal

Michael Thal

Book signing event in Ventura with Muriel Freedman

My guest this Thursday will be Michael Thal, author of Goodbye Tchaikovsky and The Legend of Koolura.  Stop by and learn more about Michael’s background, books, and writing plans.

 

 

 

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