TEARS...

“Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle.”

-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Tears

I always say it’s healthy to cry, tears take the pressure off the brain.

There are three reasons we cry. Basal tears keep your eyes wet and protected and are always present unless there is a disharmony. Reflex tears happen when our eyes become irritated by foreign particles or when we smell onions or tear gas. Then there are psychic tears, these are very special tears brought about by emotions or physical pain.

And why are psychic tears so special? In order to cry psychic tears the brain must release the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. Once it hits the receptors the lacrimal glands start producing tears.  Psychic tears contain hormones that the other tears don’t, one of these hormones is an endorphin, one of natures painkillers.

Pretty magical stuff how our body takes care of itself.

I have cried from sadness, pain, anger, joy, laughing, seeing beautiful art, hearing amazing music, reading books, watching films and of course watching Oprah. There is something purging and cleansing about a good cry although it can be exhausting as well.

You can express and define things about the characters you write in the manner of how they cry. Is it a stoic tear trickling down the cheek into his beard or perhaps the full bore, wracking sob festival whilst curled up in bed? I have written both those character-defining moments in different books.

If you want to see some great examples of crying, check out ‘Casablanca’. I just saw it on the big screen for the first time and Ingrid Bergman cried beautifully, a mercurial tear sliding down her flawless skin. I also think that Ben Stiller cried magnificently at the end of ‘Something about Mary’ as he walks away thinking he’s lost the girl forever. Another beautiful cry was Maria Falconetti in the great silent film ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’.  One of my most romantic favorites is at the end of ‘What’s up Doc’. Ryan O’Neal’s character recognizes the voice of the woman he loves, his eyes well up with tears and he smiles with relief.

Make a list of your favorite crying scenes, books or films, what does it tell you about the character?

---Carmen Bydalek

The AKRWA Breakup Contest is Open for Entries!

We want to see your best black moment or break-up scene. We want to watch your characters face their darkest fear, lose all hope, dig deep, chew the scenery, let it all hang out ... Thrill us. Make us cry. Make us long for your characters to find their happy ending. 

All the details about how to enter can be found at http://www.akrwa.org/ 

We're very excited about this year's final judge and grand prize for the 2012 Break-up Contest. 

The final judge will be Liz Pelletier at Entangled Publishing. 

The first place winner will receive a critique from NYT-bestselling author Cherry Adair. 

The entry deadline is May 1. We can't wait to read your black moment or break-up scene!

Finding A New Story

Every writer has their own process and every writer needs to discover their own process. Some are plotters, some are “pantsers”, some are kind of mixed up between the two. No judgment. Find your own style and don’t let anyone tell you it’s wrong.

I’ve written more than thirty books (short stories to full length novels) and I’m still learning, still refining my process.

Right now, I’m a plotter with some flexibility. Recently, on two different story occasions, I’ve run into a block. I liked everything about the story—characters, basic plot line, setting—but something wasn’t right. The story didn’t flow; things seemed too contrived.

I’ve run into this situation in the past and I’ve pretty much forced it to fit (anything will fit if you have a big enough hammer). The results are some of my least favorite and least successful books. I don’t know if readers can sense my dislike for the book or if they read along thinking “Really? Why would someone do that?”

I’ve been working on the plot for my next werewolf book and it was okay but felt forced. Instead of clinging to the storyline like it was my last good idea, I backed off and decided, “The story’s not working. Let it go. What else could happen?”

And what came out is something I think is brilliant (naturally) and I can’t wait to start writing it. From experience, I’ve learned that those books are usually my favorites in the end and sell the best.

It worked so well with the werewolves, I tried it with the second book in my next series and poof another brilliant idea that will hopefully get my hero and heroine in bed together without it feeling like “wow, the author needed a sex scene here.”

So, the words of wisdom portion of this...find your own writing process, don’t let others tell you it’s wrong, but be willing to learn when it stops working for you.~Tielle St. Clare

Last time, Elizabeth wrote about her struggles with censorship and with senseorship (and no, they aren’t the same thing, and it wasn’t just a typo – ask her and find out!). Her post really resonated with me. So much so that the lovely post I had planned to write on starting a new novel has gone on the back burner. All I’ve been able to think about since reading her post is how much do politics belong in our professional lives?

            Now, this isn’t a new question. Authors have asked themselves this for years, I’m sure. Only now, with the advent of social media, we have greater exposure than ever. Our readers can know more about us, faster, than ever before. Plus, it seems every day there is another opportunity to share this, or to like that.

            Do these opportunities change our obligations and responsibilities? What if what we like is unpopular? Or something we don’t like is popular? If we speak out about something, will there be fallout? If we don’t speak out about something, does that imply we condone it? What if we just don’t give a damn? Do we owe it to our readers to let them know where we stand? Do they even care?

            It’s an election year – and a messy one at that. The country is incredibly divided. As the campaign continues, there are going to be more and more opportunities to speak out, to like or unfriend, to share or delete. To talk about our personal opinions in the midst of our professional lives. What’s our responsibility? Where are our obligations?

            There are no easy answers, and I certainly don’t have one. But, as Elizabeth said in her post, I think these are questions worth asking, and conversations worth having. So…what do you think?

           

---Pauline Trent

Senseorship

by Elizabeth Komisar / Sylvia Violetta

We live in perilous times. Pick up a newspaper or turn on the television and it seems the whole bloody world is spiraling further and further away from reason. From peace… From everything sensible and good… The list is endless. At least further away from the ideals I think our forefathers shaped our country with. What did they really mean when they slapped together that little document called The Constitution of the United States of America? The Bill of Rights?

I ask myself, after pondering the array of garbage that comes across the airwaves or is shown in galleries or in whatever venue you can think of as “art” what exactly did they envision as freedom of speech or expression? Did they intend it to include religious icons covered in excrement on display in public buildings or holy books being burned? Did they mean to protect proponents of child pornography or lyrics to a song that glorify school shootings with your “daddy’s” gun? I’m not sure, but I find myself thinking about it, often. In fact, today, another high school shooting in Ohio has claimed three lives and hurt many others. You might ask what all of this has to do with Senseorship. Quite a bit.

We walk a thin line between right and wrong. As long as we “think” something does no harm we overlook it. But the moment it backfires, we point the finger at whoever we blame without thinking about our own responsibilities and how turning a blind eye contributes to these violent episodes. The written word packs a more powerful punch than anything I’ve ever encountered. It’s timeless—in essence, immortal.

So my question really is how much freedom is too much? I dare not say, and have only begun to consider this myself. And I know I’m not alone. We need to think before we write, consider the consequences before we speak. I wholly believe our forefathers envisioned a people worthy of the freedom to think for themselves—and act appropriately. Senseorship doesn’t mean suppressing our words. It means embracing this precious freedom and remembering how delicate it truly is. Exercising prudence and commonsense. Lately, it seems some of us have forgotten what that tremendous responsibility entails.

Rote Skills and Creativity

by Tam Linsey

I've often wondered why so many writer friends I know like to crochet or knit. For a long time, I refused to put a hand to a ball of yarn, insisting I had no time for such endeavors. But my critique group had dubbed themselves the "Critters and Knitters," and one by one, those who did not know how to create using needles or a hook took up the practice.

I gave in September of 2010, toting a single skein of cotton yarn and a crochet hook to our yearly writing retreat. I just wanted to fit in. I made a dishtowel, and felt I'd mastered the double crochet, so I moved on to making circles and got a matching set of coasters.

I learned the half-double crochet stitch and made a bathmat for my cousin as a wedding gift. How cool is that? I love homemade gifts.

Then came the back post stitch. And various types of increasing and decreasing stitches. Shell stitches, popcorn stitches, V stitches… Next thing I knew, I was making broomstick lace and creating sweaters and fingerless gloves.

My critique partners laugh at me.

Out of all the Critters and Knitters, I've become the most obsessed. I'm infatuated with textures and shapes. The feel of different types of yarn possesses me. When I'm stuck on a passage of my writing, I pick up yarn and hook and put a few stitches onto my latest project until my head clears. I've become so comfortable with the action of crochet, it is like second nature.

Now I realize why writers like to do hand-work; it engages another form of creativity and clears the mind just enough to find the plot point or character choice or perfect twist without occluding our thoughts about the story. Rote skills require us to engage a different part of our brain. (Plus keeping my hands busy keeps me from eating! lol!)

Playing Solitaire, taking a walk or a shower, even going for a drive can do the same thing. But I find I can be easily taken away from my writing if I leave my seat. So crochet works best for me.

Do you have an activity you find re-engages your creativity?

© Tam Linsey, 2011. All rights reserved.

Home Sweet Home-School

This has been one of the coldest, snowiest Alaskan winters in memory -- or so I hear. We're in Hawaii for a few sanity-saving weeks, along with our seven-year old and a backpack full of her schoolwork. This, no doubt, will be our only brush with home-schooling—at least until our next trip to Hawaii. And wow, it sure is an eye-opening experience. Here's a quick rundown of the ups and downs. 

Upside:

She can flit from one subject to another, so she never gets bored with any one thing.

Downside: 

Are we encouraging ADD here? Focus, girl, focus.

Upside:

We can decide it’s a beach day and spend the morning snorkeling and catch up on schoolwork later.

Downside:

Chances of actually catching up: zilch.

Upside:

She thrives on the one-on-one attention.

Downside:

One-on-one attention is exhausting for the parent side of the equation. Talk about a crash course in patience.

Upside:

It’s an excuse for field trips to the Mauna Kea Observatory for stargazing.

Downside:

Field trip nearly killed our truck.

Upside:

We get LOTS of quality time with the kid.

Downside:

She’s jonesing for some friend-time. It’s possible she’s getting sick of us.

Upside:

She can go to Circus Camp a couple afternoons a week and learn valuable life skills such as stilt-walking and unicycle-riding.

Downside: 

Not sure stilt-walking will help with No Child Left Behind school testing.

Learning to walk on stilts

So … the jury’s still out on this brief home-schooling experience. It’s fun, but it does take lots of time and attention from either me or her father. Overall, I think it’s a wonderful experience for her, though my own writing has taken a hit. (You probably haven’t seen me as much on Twitter lately.) But it’s worth it to spare her a few weeks of neverending winter. If you've had experience with home-schooling and would like to offer up some tips, I'd love to hear them!

Love from the hammock --

Jennifer Bernard

JenniferBernard.net