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1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974</id><updated>2024-05-09T05:22:45.807-04:00</updated><category term="new blog post"/><category term="Writer&#39;s Digest magazine"/><category term="writing"/><category term="Writer&#39;s Digest"/><category term="The Actress"/><category term="You&#39;ve Got a Book in You"/><category term="Left Field"/><category term="Zen"/><category term="Jessica Strawser"/><category term="Lillian Byrd"/><category term="Borders"/><category term="Florida Writers Association"/><category term="Holy Hell"/><category term="BJ Phillips"/><category term="Crimes in a Second Language"/><category term="Ernest Hemingway"/><category term="Florida Heritage Book Festival Conference"/><category term="Los Angeles"/><category term="On Location"/><category term="YMCA"/><category term="art"/><category term="conferences"/><category term="courage"/><category term="heartbrain"/><category term="Amazon"/><category term="Amazon Kindle"/><category term="Cameron McClure"/><category term="Damn Straight"/><category term="Donald Maass Agency"/><category term="Dragon Naturally Speaking"/><category term="Florida Book Awards"/><category term="Florida Writers Association conference 2016"/><category term="Golden Crown Literary Society"/><category term="Harper Lee"/><category term="Jane Friedman"/><category term="Jay Williams"/><category term="Neil Plakcy"/><category term="Rita Farmer"/><category term="Rita Farmer series"/><category term="Sleuthfest on Saturday"/><category term="South Shore Symphony Orchestra"/><category term="The Extra"/><category term="To Kill a Mockingbird"/><category term="commitment"/><category term="creativity"/><category term="inspiration"/><category term="love"/><category term="music"/><category term="storytelling"/><category term="&quot;The Typewriter&quot;"/><category term="1968 Winter Olympics"/><category term="Aesop"/><category term="Agnes Furey"/><category term="Alyson Books"/><category term="Arthur Conan Doyle"/><category term="BIC pens"/><category term="Cheetoh"/><category term="Cocktail Hour"/><category term="Cordia Pearson"/><category term="Detroit"/><category term="Downton Abbey"/><category term="Fairly Famous Author"/><category term="Florida"/><category term="GCLS"/><category term="God"/><category term="Hurricane Irma"/><category term="I am Calico Jones"/><category term="Inc."/><category term="Jesus"/><category term="John King Books"/><category term="Ken Kesey"/><category term="King Lear"/><category term="Kipling"/><category term="Lambda Literary Foundation"/><category term="Leroy Anderson"/><category term="Lidy Wilks"/><category term="Lillian Byrd on audio"/><category term="Lillian Byrd series"/><category term="Lucy Jane Bledsoe"/><category term="Macmillan"/><category term="Mad Men"/><category term="Magic Cure for Synopsis Paralysis"/><category term="Marcia"/><category term="Michigan State University"/><category term="NaNoWriMo"/><category term="Nancy Kerrigan"/><category term="New York Times"/><category term="Newschat"/><category term="Novelists"/><category term="Novelists Inc."/><category term="O.J. 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term="Stuff That Bugs Me Vol.II"/><category term="Subprime"/><category term="Success?"/><category term="Susan"/><category term="Susan Mallery"/><category term="Suspense"/><category term="Suzanne of Creative Tattoo"/><category term="Swanson&#39;s"/><category term="Switzerland"/><category term="TV"/><category term="TV show with a &#39;guy&#39; on it"/><category term="Taffy Brodesser-Akner"/><category term="Talkin Proper"/><category term="Tao Te Ching"/><category term="Tarzan"/><category term="Tate Volino"/><category term="Tear Off and Enlarge"/><category term="Ten-Minute Enigma"/><category term="Tennessee Williams"/><category term="Tesla"/><category term="Texas"/><category term="Thanksgiving"/><category term="Thanksgiving turkey hand"/><category term="That Can be a Drag"/><category term="The Actress cover images"/><category term="The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"/><category term="The Andromeda Strain"/><category term="The Animals"/><category term="The Beautiful Challenge of Detachment"/><category term="The Beauty Queen of Leenane"/><category term="The Business of Being a Writer"/><category term="The Catcher in the Rye"/><category term="The Children&#39;s Hour"/><category term="The Climbing Rope"/><category term="The Crimson Pirate"/><category term="The Edge"/><category term="The Four-Hour Body"/><category term="The Fun Of It"/><category term="The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"/><category term="The Ice House"/><category term="The Jesus Trigger"/><category term="The Key to Book Retail"/><category term="The Little Foxes"/><category term="The Magic of Reverse Outlining"/><category term="The Maltese Falcon"/><category term="The Murderer Next Door (book)"/><category term="The Murderer at the Next Pump"/><category term="The Mystery of Stupidity"/><category term="The Nine Tailors"/><category term="The Not-Caring Trick"/><category term="The Path of the Wind"/><category term="The Pounding Power of Publicity"/><category term="The Power of Structure"/><category term="The Power of Thank You"/><category term="The Power of Unexpected Story"/><category term="The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie"/><category term="The Quiet American"/><category term="The Romance of Tools"/><category term="The Secret Life of Typos"/><category term="The Shifting Winds of Success"/><category term="The Smudge"/><category term="The Snapshot Trick"/><category term="The Stage vs. The Page"/><category term="The Sun Also Rises"/><category term="The Talented Mr. Ripley"/><category term="The Tragedy of the Korosko"/><category term="The Value of Bad"/><category term="The Value of Looking Like an Idiot"/><category term="The Value of OPO"/><category term="The Worst Writing Advice"/><category term="The Writer magazine"/><category term="The Writer&#39;s Atelier"/><category term="The Zen Challenge for Writers"/><category term="Thematic Rule of Two"/><category term="Theodore Dreiser"/><category term="They Will Find You"/><category term="Thine Own Self"/><category term="Thing Presence"/><category term="This Should Make You Feel Better"/><category term="Thomas Bender"/><category term="Three Buds"/><category term="Three Kinds of Writers"/><category term="Throw the Baby in the Maw"/><category term="Tiffany Razzano"/><category term="Tim Ferriss"/><category term="Time for Change"/><category term="Timing is Everything"/><category term="Tip for Unleashing Your Voice"/><category term="Tom Vegood"/><category term="Tompkins Award"/><category term="Toni Morrison"/><category term="Tonya Harding"/><category term="Tools"/><category term="Touring Against the Odds"/><category term="Tradewinds resort"/><category term="Training My Dragon"/><category term="Training as a Writer"/><category term="Tree House Studio"/><category term="TreeHouse Studio"/><category term="TreeHouse Studios"/><category term="Tricia Pimental"/><category term="Trident Media Group"/><category term="Turkish"/><category term="Twilight"/><category term="Twitter"/><category term="Tyvek"/><category term="U.S. Olympics"/><category term="Uncle Bernac"/><category term="Underthink It"/><category term="Unquenchable Thirst"/><category term="Upton Sinclair"/><category term="Using Fickle Memory"/><category term="Valentine Post: Love and Free Book"/><category term="Van Cliburn"/><category term="Very Christmas"/><category term="Very Inspiring Blogger Award"/><category term="Vietnam"/><category term="Voiceheartvision"/><category term="WD November/December 2018"/><category term="WWJW?"/><category term="War and Peace"/><category term="Watts Towers"/><category term="Wayne State University"/><category term="Wear Doomed"/><category term="Webster&#39;s Third"/><category term="Weekend Dad"/><category term="Welcome the Bitch Welcome the Bastard"/><category term="What My Students Taught Me"/><category term="What Real Revision Looks Like"/><category term="What if?"/><category term="What to Make of It"/><category term="When False is Sort of True"/><category term="When is Progress Not Progress?"/><category term="When to Push the Button"/><category term="When to Ship It"/><category term="Why Spruce Park Press?"/><category term="Wild Kingdom"/><category term="William Faulkner"/><category term="Willow the Dog"/><category term="Wimbledon"/><category term="Win or Lose"/><category term="Windows"/><category term="Winston Churchill"/><category term="Wisdom Gleaned Lately"/><category term="Wizard of Oz"/><category term="Word Quota Magic"/><category term="Work-Arounds"/><category term="Working Without a Net"/><category term="World War II"/><category term="Wringing Direct Experience"/><category term="Write it Down"/><category term="Writer&#39;s Market"/><category term="Writing Clueless vs. Oblivious"/><category term="Writing Queer"/><category term="Writing for Writers"/><category term="Wynton Marsalis"/><category term="Yes"/><category term="You Become Your Story"/><category term="You Burn What You Got"/><category term="You Gotta Play"/><category term="You&#39;re All Right"/><category term="You&#39;re Screwed"/><category term="YouTube"/><category term="Your Ideas Are Your Capital"/><category term="Your Pair of Swans"/><category term="Your Whole Self"/><category term="Zen in the Art of Archery"/><category term="Zestful Parking Lot"/><category term="Zuh Cow"/><category term="a bowl of cherries"/><category term="a creative life"/><category term="a quality life"/><category term="accomplishments"/><category term="accordion"/><category term="acting"/><category term="adaptation"/><category term="airplane"/><category term="albatross"/><category term="all the money in the world"/><category term="alpacas"/><category term="amazing sketch"/><category term="an orange for the teacher"/><category term="and Vulture Warning"/><category term="and--"/><category term="annoying corporate vice president"/><category term="annoying grammar mistakes other people make"/><category term="annoying teachers"/><category term="archives"/><category term="arguably beautiful ruined building"/><category term="arthroscopic surgery"/><category term="artistic freedom"/><category term="artistic productivity"/><category term="ascetic vs aesthetic"/><category term="aspiring authors"/><category term="assimilation"/><category term="assumptions"/><category term="athletics"/><category term="attentiveness to one&#39;s raw material"/><category term="auditions"/><category term="aurochs"/><category term="autobiography"/><category term="awards"/><category term="awesome Christmas lights display"/><category term="baby sock"/><category term="backbone of steel."/><category term="bad writing"/><category term="bandanna"/><category term="bastard agents and editors"/><category term="be that person"/><category term="begs the question"/><category term="beignets"/><category term="being fast and ruthless."/><category term="being present"/><category term="best advice on dealing with awards"/><category term="bicep"/><category term="biceps"/><category term="big cannon"/><category term="big-ass storms"/><category term="bitch from marching band"/><category term="bizarre spiritual prudery"/><category term="blaxploitation"/><category term="blogging"/><category term="blood donation"/><category term="blood on the rocks"/><category term="bloodthirsty public"/><category term="book pirates"/><category term="book sales"/><category term="bookstores"/><category term="boy breaking board"/><category term="braid"/><category term="brainworms"/><category term="brass barrel sharpener"/><category term="breach vs breech"/><category term="breath awareness"/><category term="broken watermelons"/><category term="bullshit"/><category term="but if you could"/><category term="butter dish"/><category term="cafe buddies"/><category term="caffeine"/><category term="cajones"/><category term="carrots"/><category term="casting couch"/><category term="categorization of mysteries and thrillers"/><category term="cedar"/><category term="cement versus concrete"/><category term="champagne"/><category term="change ringing"/><category term="character arc"/><category term="character motivation"/><category term="character naming"/><category term="character voice"/><category term="chemistry set"/><category term="children&#39;s literature"/><category term="chocolate"/><category term="choices"/><category term="church"/><category term="close reading"/><category term="clues"/><category term="coaxing art to pay well"/><category term="coffee and brandy--a fine combination"/><category term="cojones"/><category term="comfort zones"/><category term="competition"/><category term="complaining authors"/><category term="confidence"/><category term="contributing editor credential"/><category term="contributions"/><category term="cool cowboy boots"/><category term="coping with rejection"/><category term="copy editing"/><category term="copy editor"/><category term="copying art"/><category term="craft"/><category term="creating"/><category term="critique groups"/><category term="crushed raccoons"/><category term="curly perm"/><category term="dark side"/><category term="deadpan"/><category term="death"/><category term="details in fiction"/><category term="devolve"/><category term="devotee"/><category term="dictation"/><category term="dirtbags and dingbats"/><category term="disability"/><category term="discomfited vs discomforted vs disconcerted"/><category term="don&#39;t overthink it"/><category term="doubt"/><category term="drawing"/><category term="dumbing down by copy editors"/><category term="dumpy middle-aged women making six figures"/><category term="ear selfie"/><category term="economy in storytelling"/><category term="effigy of mother in woods and other horrors"/><category term="egg"/><category term="elimination of tension physical"/><category term="emotional"/><category term="envision and envisage"/><category term="evil geese"/><category term="exception proves the rule"/><category term="extraneous thats"/><category term="faking it"/><category term="fans"/><category term="fast writing"/><category term="fear"/><category term="fearlessness"/><category term="ferment and foment"/><category term="fiction"/><category term="finishing a project"/><category term="fist person"/><category term="five new subscribers"/><category term="flip turns"/><category term="flow"/><category term="flute"/><category term="folk tales"/><category term="football"/><category term="forgiveness"/><category term="formulae for blurbs"/><category term="free promotion"/><category term="free promotion results"/><category term="free promotions"/><category term="friend Anne D."/><category term="friend Bronwen"/><category term="friends"/><category term="frigate bird"/><category term="frightening Spanish conquistador weaponry"/><category term="fun-lying"/><category term="gaiters and gators"/><category term="game design"/><category term="getting out of the house"/><category term="getting your writing project effing done"/><category term="ghost-Kilroy"/><category term="gin martinis"/><category term="giving it everything you&#39;ve got"/><category term="godhead"/><category term="gold"/><category term="golf putting technique"/><category term="good old tools"/><category term="good writing"/><category term="gotta just make the commitment"/><category term="gourmet ice cream"/><category term="grace"/><category term="grammar"/><category term="grammar-induced suicide"/><category term="great Cuban food"/><category term="grizzly bear"/><category term="growth proving its strength"/><category term="gunpowder"/><category term="gunwale and gunnel"/><category term="gym class"/><category term="hardbitten cashier"/><category term="having no choice"/><category term="hay versus straw"/><category term="heart"/><category term="hemlock"/><category term="heroes"/><category term="high school"/><category term="hotel bar"/><category term="how not to screw up your beginning"/><category term="how to learn to write well"/><category term="human evil"/><category term="humblebrag"/><category term="idioms"/><category term="immigration"/><category term="imperfection"/><category term="imperishable quotations by grandparents"/><category term="incomplete intelligence"/><category term="incomprehensible feedback"/><category term="incremental improvement"/><category term="inflection"/><category term="ink"/><category term="integrity"/><category term="intentional learning"/><category term="intimacy"/><category term="iron versus steel"/><category term="jackknife"/><category term="judging"/><category term="just show up"/><category term="kangaroo tendons"/><category term="kill your babies"/><category term="lax 1960s incendiary substance laws"/><category term="lazy asshole"/><category term="learning"/><category term="leaving your comfort zone"/><category term="lend"/><category term="lifeguard training"/><category term="lift up your eyes"/><category term="limits-what-limits"/><category term="linchpin and lynchpin"/><category term="linguistic precision"/><category term="listening"/><category term="literary criticism"/><category term="literary journals"/><category term="litter"/><category term="little gold skirt"/><category term="living life to the hilt"/><category term="llamas"/><category term="loan"/><category term="long table requiem"/><category term="look deep"/><category term="lounge"/><category term="lying"/><category term="magazine writing"/><category term="magic"/><category term="magnolia tree"/><category term="make you wanna tear your hair"/><category term="making the effort"/><category term="marketing copy"/><category term="marking time"/><category term="martial arts"/><category term="martinis"/><category term="mascarpone"/><category term="maturity"/><category term="medieval fair"/><category term="meeting up with Christ"/><category term="memory"/><category term="mental"/><category term="mint chocolate chip"/><category term="modest shrug"/><category term="morbid curiosity"/><category term="morons"/><category term="mountain path photo"/><category term="movies"/><category term="moving forward towards good things"/><category term="murder your darlings"/><category term="mushy peaches"/><category term="music room at Cass Tech"/><category term="my band director"/><category term="my mom"/><category term="my sacrifice"/><category term="mystery runner"/><category term="narrative"/><category term="negative examples"/><category term="new friend Nan"/><category term="new words"/><category term="newspaper work"/><category term="nicely browned little chickens"/><category term="nicely proportioned firewood"/><category term="nonplussed"/><category term="not learning to do stuff"/><category term="not screwing yourself"/><category term="notebooks"/><category term="novice"/><category term="objectivity."/><category term="old silver Parker ballpoint"/><category term="omniscient"/><category term="orange dinosaur hero"/><category term="other authors/writers"/><category term="outsider art"/><category term="oxygen masks"/><category term="paleo guys"/><category term="panicked old ladies"/><category term="paradox"/><category term="patience"/><category term="peas"/><category term="pencils"/><category term="penknife"/><category term="pens"/><category term="penultimate"/><category term="perfection"/><category term="perfectionism"/><category term="permission to write poorly"/><category term="pets"/><category term="philosophy"/><category term="photo of attractive river beach with trees"/><category term="photo of drum array"/><category term="photo of hand touching tree"/><category term="photo of oculus at National Gallery"/><category term="photography"/><category term="physical therapy"/><category term="piano"/><category term="picture of badass drill"/><category term="pigmentation"/><category term="pinata"/><category term="pink duct tape"/><category term="pique"/><category term="pita"/><category term="pivot points"/><category term="pleading with God for a sign"/><category term="plot structure"/><category term="pocketknife"/><category term="poetry memorization"/><category term="poisonous"/><category term="political correctness"/><category term="politically incorrect mug"/><category term="polka music"/><category term="polo"/><category term="pompon and pompom"/><category term="pond life"/><category term="pork chop special"/><category term="power plant photo"/><category term="prayer rug"/><category term="preachy literary authors"/><category term="prerogative"/><category term="presentations"/><category term="prizes"/><category term="problematic Olympic figure skaters"/><category term="produce market"/><category term="professional editing"/><category term="progress"/><category term="prosaic vs prolific"/><category term="pseudo-intellectual"/><category term="publishing business"/><category term="publishing history"/><category term="publishing process"/><category term="publishing teamwork"/><category term="purty flower picshah"/><category term="quill pen"/><category term="quinoa"/><category term="ragging on critique groups"/><category term="rainbows"/><category term="rancid haze"/><category term="random ASCII characters"/><category term="raven head sculpture"/><category term="reading"/><category term="reading aloud"/><category term="reading skills"/><category term="recreational lying"/><category term="reed pen"/><category term="relaxed jaw"/><category term="relinquishing control"/><category term="relinquishing the grievance narrative"/><category term="rent-a-box"/><category term="restaurateur"/><category term="restorative justice"/><category term="revising"/><category term="reward"/><category term="ridden out of town on a rail"/><category term="rutabaga"/><category term="scholarship."/><category term="screw preparation"/><category term="scum"/><category term="see and be seen"/><category term="self-actualizing"/><category term="self-sabotage"/><category term="sensory input and output"/><category term="shearing vs shirring"/><category term="sherbet"/><category term="shoo-in"/><category term="short story"/><category term="sidekicks"/><category term="skating"/><category term="sketch of cow"/><category term="sleepinginanunmadebed"/><category term="sloppy usage"/><category term="slow reading"/><category term="slow writing."/><category term="slow-cooked quality"/><category term="sneak peak"/><category term="social media"/><category term="soft warm cookies"/><category term="solo space walk suit"/><category term="soundscapes"/><category term="speed reading"/><category term="spell check"/><category term="spent pencil"/><category term="spirit of discovery"/><category term="spiritual truth"/><category term="sports"/><category term="stack of notebooks just dying to get dirty"/><category term="stalkers"/><category term="standards"/><category term="steady output"/><category term="steampunk"/><category term="story development skills"/><category term="story skills"/><category term="struggle"/><category term="stuck in traffic"/><category term="students"/><category term="stupid boyfriend"/><category term="stupid crap"/><category term="succinct"/><category term="sucking"/><category term="suicide"/><category term="superpowers"/><category term="supersede"/><category term="swim test"/><category term="swords into ploughshares"/><category term="synopses"/><category term="synopsis"/><category term="taste"/><category term="teabags"/><category term="teaching writing"/><category term="thank you to my friends"/><category term="thanks"/><category term="the Algonquin"/><category term="the Beverly Hillbillies"/><category term="the Brady Bunch"/><category term="the Fail"/><category term="the Fun?"/><category term="the Jordans&#39; daughter"/><category term="the Lesbian Review"/><category term="the Our Father"/><category term="the Patty Duke Show"/><category term="the Pulitzers"/><category term="the circle of art"/><category term="the fallen hemlock"/><category term="the gorgeous game of life"/><category term="the human condition"/><category term="the perils of preaching in fiction"/><category term="the power of choice"/><category term="the serendipity of browsing"/><category term="the story of an amazing movie and possible budding love affair"/><category term="the value of getting a copy edit"/><category term="the vault"/><category term="theme"/><category term="third person"/><category term="time"/><category term="tombstone"/><category term="top witch in the coven"/><category term="torn cartilage"/><category term="toxic tomorrow"/><category term="toys"/><category term="transporters"/><category term="trashy imbeciles"/><category term="tremendously unreasonable people who will someday be lonely and sad"/><category term="trying"/><category term="tugboat photo"/><category term="two guys trying to kill each other"/><category term="two-part hillbilly names"/><category term="unconditional love is a harsh mistress"/><category term="unsubscribers"/><category term="use your good stuff now!"/><category term="venomous"/><category term="villains"/><category term="vocabulary"/><category term="voice-recognition software"/><category term="wood stoves"/><category term="write real"/><category term="writing   and desk tools"/><category term="writing by hand"/><category term="writing competitions"/><category term="writing prompts"/><category term="writing your own blog"/><category term="yellow line fever"/><category term="zest"/><title type='text'>Zestful Writing</title><subtitle type='html'>Elizabeth Sims Blog</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>300</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-2012569787916067808</id><published>2019-01-24T12:43:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2019-01-24T12:49:44.582-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="a bowl of cherries"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Goodbye but Hello"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="moving forward towards good things"/><title type='text'>Goodbye but Hello</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
2. <div class="MsoNormal">
3. Zestful Blog Post #300<o:p></o:p></div>
4. <div class="MsoNormal">
5. <br /></div>
6. <div class="MsoNormal">
7. Before I get into this post, I want you to know I’ll be teaching
8. online this coming Saturday, January 26, in the <a href="https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/2018-writers-digest-university-virtual-writing-conference-for-novelists" target="_blank">Writer's Digest Virtual Conference for Novelists</a>. Mine is
9. the kickoff slot, at 1 p.m. My one-hour presentation will be “Supercharge Your
10. Plot.” This is the earliest notice I can give, which I know isn’t much. But we’ll
11. have a good time, so consider joining me and the other fine presenters. I might
12. also note that Royal Caribbean canceled the sail date of the mystery-writing /
13. forensics cruise I was so excited about, due to mechanical issues with the ship
14. and drydock conflicts. But we’re hoping to reschedule that trip, again in partnership
15. with Royal Caribbean and GoTravel.<o:p></o:p></div>
16. <div class="MsoNormal">
17. <br /></div>
18. <div class="MsoNormal">
19. On to today’s business.<o:p></o:p></div>
20. <div class="MsoNormal">
21. <br /></div>
22. <div class="MsoNormal">
23. I’ve been blogging weekly for almost six years now, ever
24. since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You’ve Got a Book in You</i>
25. launched. And I’ve been thinking of taking a break, or ending the blog
26. permanently. One’s life has seasons. I feel the need to spend more time
27. creating other stuff, doing different things. And as I watched post #300
28. approach, I thought such a nice round number would be a good place to conclude,
29. or at least pause, this blog. Zestful Writing has led to a lot of cool
30. interactions, both in the comments section and via email, and I’ll miss that. Writing
31. a weekly essay also makes you come up with ideas, think through your points and
32. support them, and write as clearly and concisely as you can. That’s been
33. valuable.<o:p></o:p></div>
34. <div class="MsoNormal">
35. <br /></div>
36. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
37. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmojYiXenOJ-c1lrtz0SnaJ8A2MNTP5V-zo4aqKQrq7Wp-HXVIUskkwe_ZMLLIii4SyZV-PyozcyEw3fEKohg2UPPhaiK5skSi5r1Jt8MlJssglVNiRPCZNgIiOt7DQsP6GObvcgaDOU/s1600/Bowl+of+cherries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmojYiXenOJ-c1lrtz0SnaJ8A2MNTP5V-zo4aqKQrq7Wp-HXVIUskkwe_ZMLLIii4SyZV-PyozcyEw3fEKohg2UPPhaiK5skSi5r1Jt8MlJssglVNiRPCZNgIiOt7DQsP6GObvcgaDOU/s400/Bowl+of+cherries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
38. <div class="MsoNormal">
39. <br /></div>
40. <div class="MsoNormal">
41. But thinking up a weekly post, writing it, making a
42. photograph or sketch (or finding a free image on line), cropping and editing that
43. image, uploading the whole thing and responding to comments—all that takes up
44. my writing time and energy for a day per week. That’s a pretty big commitment.
45. I intend to make a book from the best of these posts, after I get through some
46. more projects.</div>
47. <div class="MsoNormal">
48. <o:p></o:p></div>
49. <div class="MsoNormal">
50. <br /></div>
51. <div class="MsoNormal">
52. Which, yeah. Having given a lot of consideration to the
53. questions I posed in last week’s post <a href="http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-pretty-good-use.html">(Zestful
54. Blog Post 299)</a>, I know I need to write more books at a brisker pace. Need
55. to explore my fictional worlds further, and invent new ones. I want to write
56. more nonfiction, including more good stuff for writers, and I want to teach
57. more workshops, both in person and online. I need to simplify things where I
58. can. As I’ve noted here before, one’s time is a zero-sum game, and our days on
59. this earth are finite. If you know what your mission is, it’s a sin not to
60. serve that mission. I intend to put out my newschats a bit more frequently, so
61. if you’d like to keep up with me and all forthcoming work, please be sure you’re
62. on that list, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">which is a different list
63. from this blog.</b> Sign up <a href="https://elizabethsims.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6034aa37725e17ef079e5fea6&id=66c70aea20">HERE.</a><o:p></o:p></div>
64. <div class="MsoNormal">
65. <br /></div>
66. <div class="MsoNormal">
67. I guess one should never say never, so who knows but what I might
68. start this blog up again someday. But for now, farewell. Do stay tuned via the
69. newschat, because I want to keep in touch with you. After all, you’re why I’m
70. here.<o:p></o:p></div>
71. <div class="MsoNormal">
72. Love,<o:p></o:p></div>
73. <div class="MsoNormal">
74. Elizabeth<o:p></o:p></div>
75. <div class="MsoNormal">
76. <br /></div>
77. <div class="MsoNormal">
78. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
79. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
80. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
81. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
82. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments. [Photo by ES]</div>
83. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/2012569787916067808/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/goodbye-but-hello.html#comment-form' title='15 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2012569787916067808'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2012569787916067808'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/goodbye-but-hello.html' title='Goodbye but Hello'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmojYiXenOJ-c1lrtz0SnaJ8A2MNTP5V-zo4aqKQrq7Wp-HXVIUskkwe_ZMLLIii4SyZV-PyozcyEw3fEKohg2UPPhaiK5skSi5r1Jt8MlJssglVNiRPCZNgIiOt7DQsP6GObvcgaDOU/s72-c/Bowl+of+cherries.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>15</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-8883535005155186684</id><published>2019-01-17T13:30:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2019-01-17T13:30:58.077-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="A Pretty Good Use"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="a quality life"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Katy Deutermann"/><title type='text'>A Pretty Good Use</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
84. <div class="MsoNormal">
85. Zestful Blog Post #299<o:p></o:p></div>
86. <div class="MsoNormal">
87. <br /></div>
88. <div class="MsoNormal">
89. This post is dedicated to Katy Deutermann, who last Saturday
90. passed from this life to the next after a sudden fierce illness. She was an
91. avid reader of this blog and a fan of my books. And along with her husband
92. Steve, she was a special and much-admired friend. Hi, Steve. (Who remains a special
93. and much-admired friend.)<o:p></o:p></div>
94. <div class="MsoNormal">
95. <br /></div>
96. <div class="MsoNormal">
97. Most of us have lost comrades/acquaintances at a young age.
98. A few of our schoolmates, perhaps, didn’t live to see their 20<sup>th</sup>
99. birthday. Grandma and Grandpa go, then our parents. Along the way, you lose a friend
100. or two before their time. God forbid you ever lose a child. Then the losses
101. accelerate. And you realize, well, at some point I’m gonna be next.<o:p></o:p></div>
102. <div class="MsoNormal">
103. <br /></div>
104. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
105. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMjBqp_uoeppWo6dh5ls3QiFxKE4381PMDM7UBcMfhTj9tyO9LmbaK5SAcsrzB-qhMjqquS18IExE-N8p_EtDCQTg1ut2TgIaHMla3N_LN1WP7SSWbla_7JggYmaV7sbAtu97vs51CEU/s1600/Table+and+chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMjBqp_uoeppWo6dh5ls3QiFxKE4381PMDM7UBcMfhTj9tyO9LmbaK5SAcsrzB-qhMjqquS18IExE-N8p_EtDCQTg1ut2TgIaHMla3N_LN1WP7SSWbla_7JggYmaV7sbAtu97vs51CEU/s400/Table+and+chairs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
106. <div class="MsoNormal">
107. <br /></div>
108. <div class="MsoNormal">
109. And you think:</div>
110. <div class="MsoNormal">
111. <o:p></o:p></div>
112. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
113. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
114. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->What am I doing?<o:p></o:p></div>
115. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
116. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
117. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->What am I really doing?<o:p></o:p></div>
118. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
119. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
120. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->What am I supposed to be doing?<o:p></o:p></div>
121. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
122. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
123. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Whose company do I cherish the most?<o:p></o:p></div>
124. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
125. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
126. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Who do I want to share a table with?<o:p></o:p></div>
127. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
128. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
129. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->What is a quality life?<o:p></o:p></div>
130. <div class="MsoNormal">
131. <br /></div>
132. <div class="MsoNormal">
133. The seasons of life—and of work—come and go. Nobody gets it
134. perfect. And that’s as beautiful as perfection itself. What’s a pretty good use
135. of today?<o:p></o:p></div>
136. <div class="MsoNormal">
137. <br /></div>
138. <div class="MsoNormal">
139. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
140. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
141. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
142. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
143. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments. [Photo by
144. ES.] Thanks for looking in.</div>
145. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/8883535005155186684/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-pretty-good-use.html#comment-form' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/8883535005155186684'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/8883535005155186684'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-pretty-good-use.html' title='A Pretty Good Use'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMjBqp_uoeppWo6dh5ls3QiFxKE4381PMDM7UBcMfhTj9tyO9LmbaK5SAcsrzB-qhMjqquS18IExE-N8p_EtDCQTg1ut2TgIaHMla3N_LN1WP7SSWbla_7JggYmaV7sbAtu97vs51CEU/s72-c/Table+and+chairs.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-8071966250059461067</id><published>2019-01-10T13:06:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2019-01-10T13:06:34.280-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="LGBTQ literature"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Writer&#39;s Digest magazine"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Writing Queer"/><title type='text'>Writing Queer</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
146. <div class="MsoNormal">
147. Zestful Blog Post #298</div>
148. <div class="MsoNormal">
149. <o:p></o:p></div>
150. <div class="MsoNormal">
151. <br /></div>
152. <div class="MsoNormal">
153. [This week’s blog is a meaty excerpt from my article in the
154. current Writer’s Digest magazine, February, 2019.]<o:p></o:p></div>
155. <div class="MsoNormal">
156. <br /></div>
157. <div class="MsoNormal">
158. I didn’t know it, but I was mentally ill until about age 16.
159. Anybody queer was considered mentally ill until 1973, when the American
160. Psychiatric Association removed the diagnosis of homosexuality as a disorder
161. (though ‘sexual orientation disturbance’ endured in the DSM until 1987). Like
162. millions of LGBT children and adults, I knew I was different, and not in a
163. socially acceptable way. We didn’t even know there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were</i> millions of us. We thought maybe we were the only one.<o:p></o:p></div>
164. <div class="MsoNormal">
165. <br /></div>
166. <div class="MsoNormal">
167. Back then, a person who wanted or needed to explore the
168. queer lifestyle had to be extremely circumspect in their hunt for information
169. and validation. The words queer, fag, homo, and lezzie were dreaded slurs, used
170. by even young children who didn’t know what the words meant.<o:p></o:p></div>
171. <div class="MsoNormal">
172. <br /></div>
173. <div class="MsoNormal">
174. The word “queer,” however, has emerged as an acceptable term
175. for any kind of alternative sexuality or sexual orientation. LGBT, which stands
176. for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, is the clunky yet useful
177. initialism that surfaced in the 1990s. The addition of Q, meaning queer,
178. includes pretty much any sexual/gender variation, including intersexual,
179. asexual, cross-dressing. Not everybody agrees to these shorthand helpers, but
180. in the interest of simplicity, I’m using queer here as an all-inclusive term.<o:p></o:p></div>
181. <div class="MsoNormal">
182. <br /></div>
183. <div class="MsoNormal">
184. Porn shops, peep shows, and underground bars, of course,
185. were early refuges and—sad to say—cultural centers for queers. But if you were
186. young, you were kept out, and if you were of age, you risked exposure, with
187. whatever consequences, from arrest for ‘perversion,’ to expulsion from school
188. or work, to ostracism by family, friends, peers.<o:p></o:p></div>
189. <div class="MsoNormal">
190. <br /></div>
191. <div class="MsoNormal">
192. Enter literature. You figured maybe there were books that
193. captured the experience, right? So, alone, you hunted through library card
194. catalogues and the stacks, looking for something—anything—to read. If you
195. didn’t feel safe bringing a book to the librarian to stamp and check out for
196. you, you stood in the stacks and read it there, shifting from foot to foot,
197. ready to jam the book back into the shelf if anybody came by. Whatever books,
198. that is, you could find.<o:p></o:p></div>
199. <div class="MsoNormal">
200. <br /></div>
201. <div class="MsoNormal">
202. What is queer literature? Basically, anything in which the
203. main character or characters are queer, and where a queer lifestyle is
204. featured, where queer concerns are addressed. Coming-out stories were, and
205. remain, popular.<o:p></o:p></div>
206. <div class="MsoNormal">
207. <br /></div>
208. <div class="MsoNormal">
209. Why is queer lit even a thing? Because people are tribal;
210. readers are tribal. We like to read about characters who reflect us because
211. it’s a way we can learn how to deal with life and its challenges. Queer readers
212. had been mentally editing / head-editing the novels they read for years,
213. changing one character or another’s sex in their minds. Highly unsatisfying—and
214. totally beside the point of queer existence.<o:p></o:p></div>
215. <div class="MsoNormal">
216. <br /></div>
217. <div class="MsoNormal">
218. The roots of modern queer literary themes can be found in
219. classical mythology. Some of the gods enjoyed emotionally close relationships
220. with male pals, for whom they would kill or commit vengeful mayhem. Apollo,
221. especially, was quite close with Carnus, Hyacinth, and Cyparissus. Herakles (or
222. Hercules) cared deeply for Aberdus, Hylas, and especially Iolaus, who helped Hercules
223. prevail against the multi-headed Hydra.<o:p></o:p></div>
224. <div class="MsoNormal">
225. <br /></div>
226. <div class="MsoNormal">
227. Moving forward in time we find the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Satyricon</i> (1<sup>st</sup> century A.D.), a fictitious work by the
228. Roman courtier Gaius Petronius, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
229. Tale of Genji</i> (11<sup>th</sup> century) by Murasaki Shikibu. These works
230. included frank depictions of male/male relationships, after which queer themes
231. more or less went underground—that is, they were disguised or hidden in story
232. elements, for centuries. An example can be found in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i> (1897) by Bram Stoker, when Count Dracula seizes Jonathan
233. Harker with the cry, “This man belongs to me!” In the seafaring novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Billy Budd</i>, begun in the late 1800s by
234. Herman Melville and first published in 1924, there’s a possible homosexual
235. triangle involving Billy, Claggart, and Captain Vere.<o:p></o:p></div>
236. <div class="MsoNormal">
237. <br /></div>
238. <div class="MsoNormal">
239. Queers hunting for a literary hero might have come across
240. Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). You found a career of literary talent and
241. accomplishment, but then you looked into his life, and wow. “Gross indecency,”
242. they called it. Prison time, they gave him. He died penniless.<o:p></o:p></div>
243. <div class="MsoNormal">
244. <br /></div>
245. <div class="MsoNormal">
246. Women interested in exploring same-sex relationships had to
247. look harder, and there wasn’t much to find. You had the fragmentary poetry of
248. Sappho (c. 630-570 B.C.). Maybe you came across Radclyffe Hall’s
249. depressingly-titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Well of
250. Loneliness</i> (1928), wherein the main character, Stephen Gordon (a woman), is
251. arguably suicidal by the end, though she doesn’t quite get around to it
252. onscreen, as it were.<o:p></o:p></div>
253. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
254. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nOFZe37JRu7IyCYVJvXMbh9f1rU-29fRSh-_7cn4nYu10XaGd2r_MH8ElhHiDqNkmMUNDXFB_qi2gxU29POfswklmbTKY5KH2LLb_d65pQFRO2Wmsju2jYriMQhgiIJaDWZSynB-hgs/s1600/Writing+Queer+pages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="1600" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nOFZe37JRu7IyCYVJvXMbh9f1rU-29fRSh-_7cn4nYu10XaGd2r_MH8ElhHiDqNkmMUNDXFB_qi2gxU29POfswklmbTKY5KH2LLb_d65pQFRO2Wmsju2jYriMQhgiIJaDWZSynB-hgs/s400/Writing+Queer+pages.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
255. <div class="MsoNormal">
256. <br /></div>
257. <div class="MsoNormal">
258. Then maybe you read about Gertrude Stein and Alice B.
259. Toklas, guardians of the Paris avant-garde in the Jazz Age. Well, what was that
260. relationship about? Hm. Super hard to tell. Then you read Ernest Hemingway’s <i>A Moveable Feast</i> and you came across a
261. little passage of dialogue that appears to record an overheard quarrel between
262. two lady perverts. Great. Just great.</div>
263. <div class="MsoNormal">
264. <o:p></o:p></div>
265. <div class="MsoNormal">
266. <br /></div>
267. <div class="MsoNormal">
268. Sadly, due to cultural standards and expectations—we were
269. all mentally ill, remember?—the queer characters had to die, or more ideally,
270. kill themselves out of shame. Lovely.<o:p></o:p></div>
271. <div class="MsoNormal">
272. <br /></div>
273. <div class="MsoNormal">
274. A few examples out of hundreds:<o:p></o:p></div>
275. <div class="MsoNormal">
276. Carmilla (1871-72), the title character in Joseph Sheridan
277. Le Fanu’s serially-published novel;<o:p></o:p></div>
278. <div class="MsoNormal">
279. Martha Dobie in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
280. Children’s Hour</i> (1934), play by Lillian Hellmann;<o:p></o:p></div>
281. <div class="MsoNormal">
282. Sebastian Venable in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suddenly
283. Last Summer</i> (1958), play by Tennessee Williams (among other Williams
284. characters who get killed off or at least humiliated for being different);<o:p></o:p></div>
285. <div class="MsoNormal">
286. Brig Anderson in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Advise
287. and Consent</i> (1959), novel by Allen Drury.<o:p></o:p></div>
288. <div class="MsoNormal">
289. <br /></div>
290. <div class="MsoNormal">
291. In mid-century American queer literature, Tennessee Williams
292. keeps cropping up, especially with his play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cat
293. on a Hot Tin Roof</i> (1955). The gorgeous character Brick doesn’t love his
294. wife, the equally gorgeous Maggie—why not? There was this guy, this football
295. teammate of Brick’s named Skipper. Brick and Skipper. Something there. But
296. what, exactly? Maybe even they didn’t know. Skipper killed himself. OK, yeah. Read
297. between the lines, friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
298. <div class="MsoNormal">
299. <br /></div>
300. <div class="MsoNormal">
301. Many good writers wrote closeted—about sexually ambiguous
302. characters, with some between-the-lines stuff in there. Truman Capote and his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Other Voices, Other Rooms</i> (1948) might
303. be an example. Patricia Highsmith edged into queer themes with her series of
304. five books (1955-1991) featuring the character Tom Ripley, who appears to at
305. least be bisexual, if not homosexual. She wrote a frankly queer-themed novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Price of Salt</i> (1952) early in her
306. career, but under the pseudonym Claire Morgan.<o:p></o:p></div>
307. <div class="MsoNormal">
308. <br /></div>
309. <div class="MsoNormal">
310. Contemporary queer lit is inextricably tied to the gay pride
311. movement that ignited with the Stonewall uprising in New York City in 1969,
312. named after the bar where members of the queer community rebelled against the
313. police, who routinely raided such places and racked up arrests on ‘indecency’
314. charges and other crimes. Stonewall was a watershed moment that led to the LGBT
315. rights movement.<o:p></o:p></div>
316. <div class="MsoNormal">
317. <br /></div>
318. <div class="MsoNormal">
319. Rights were fought for, rights were gradually won, and
320. queers could come out a little more. There we were, blinking in the sunlight.
321. More visibility meant more opportunity to get queer literature out there.</div>
322. <div class="MsoNormal">
323. [End of excerpt. For the full article, which discusses the
324. emergence of modern queer works as well as the current scene, hustle out to
325. your local newsstand or go to www.writersdigest.com.]<o:p></o:p></div>
326. <div class="MsoNormal">
327. <br /></div>
328. <div class="MsoNormal">
329. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
330. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
331. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
332. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
333. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
334. <div class="MsoNormal">
335. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
336. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
337. in.</div>
338. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/8071966250059461067/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/writing-queer.html#comment-form' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/8071966250059461067'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/8071966250059461067'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/writing-queer.html' title='Writing Queer'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nOFZe37JRu7IyCYVJvXMbh9f1rU-29fRSh-_7cn4nYu10XaGd2r_MH8ElhHiDqNkmMUNDXFB_qi2gxU29POfswklmbTKY5KH2LLb_d65pQFRO2Wmsju2jYriMQhgiIJaDWZSynB-hgs/s72-c/Writing+Queer+pages.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-595743118138164570</id><published>2019-01-03T10:09:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2019-01-03T10:09:17.371-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bald Patches"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="make you wanna tear your hair"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Reddit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="the story of an amazing movie and possible budding love affair"/><title type='text'>Bald Patches</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
339. <div class="MsoNormal">
340. Zestful Blog Post #297<o:p></o:p></div>
341. <div class="MsoNormal">
342. <br /></div>
343. <div class="MsoNormal">
344. [I constructed the following story from usages and spellings
345. I found while browsing on Reddit. If you’re not familiar with Reddit, it is the
346. current most interesting social media platform, and happens to be populated
347. largely by guys in their teens and 20s.]<o:p></o:p></div>
348. <div class="MsoNormal">
349. <br /></div>
350. <div class="MsoNormal">
351. I was watching the playoffs when an ad came on for some new
352. car. The main person in the ad was a famous movie star who has turned into
353. nothing but a corporate shrill. You know who I’m talking about: stalky build,
354. wearing a sole patch, which are so last week, right? His last picture was a
355. real dousey, take my word for it. I do recall when it came out, I made a B-line
356. for the theater because I use to think he was cool. Before I got there, though,
357. I stopped at an ATM machine to get money to buy a ticket, but I forgot my PIN
358. number. After racking my brain for like 10 minutes, I remembered it. Later, I
359. wrote my PIN number on my ATM card as a preventative measure against forgetting
360. it again.<o:p></o:p></div>
361. <div class="MsoNormal">
362. <br /></div>
363. <div class="MsoNormal">
364. Let me just tell you about that movie, which starts with a
365. grizzly crime where some guy stabs a college sorodity girl because she wouldn’t
366. go out with him. It all seemed realistic, so I figured the movie wouldn’t be to
367. bad. It seems the killer’s mom tried to reign him in, but she was a baffoon, and
368. just couldn’t control him. She must have weighed 100 pounds soak and wet. Plus
369. she didn’t understand her son very well and what he was up against in this fast
370. pace, doggy-dog world we live in. The murderer keeps leaching off his mom,
371. borrowing money to buy drugs, even while the cops are figuring out who did it.
372. There’s another friend who tries to ween him off the drugs with no success.<o:p></o:p></div>
373. <div class="MsoNormal">
374. <br /></div>
375. <div class="MsoNormal">
376. <o:p></o:p></div>
377. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
378. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrRvG5TaRucIMNPEg6k_EJCCTiYD3Zj7sBg-vBEARH_ZkR-P9qd5FNDGzuP_4ZKzRvRH0YBz9LNrLUMFAt5nPULAPY7a5xjgqWS6adGEI3j0JCCVlxxnj1lKgS2FoJ-BPVHbEjnwICzk/s1600/Popcorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="744" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrRvG5TaRucIMNPEg6k_EJCCTiYD3Zj7sBg-vBEARH_ZkR-P9qd5FNDGzuP_4ZKzRvRH0YBz9LNrLUMFAt5nPULAPY7a5xjgqWS6adGEI3j0JCCVlxxnj1lKgS2FoJ-BPVHbEjnwICzk/s400/Popcorn.jpg" title="Popcorn with 'butter'" width="400" /></a></div>
379. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
380. </div>
381. <br />
382.  
383.  
384. <div class="MsoNormal">
385. <br /></div>
386. <div class="MsoNormal">
387. The hero cop starts to hone in on where this guy lives,
388. which is a coldasack at the end of a long street of nice houses. They intercept
389. a message that the murderer sends to the government, trying to black male them into
390. paying money to stop a bomb or something. This doosh thinks he’s going to pick
391. up a fortune from the government to keep him from blowing up a kindergarden. Then
392. there was something about too much partizenship in the government, but I
393. somewhat lost track. I almost walked out of the show at this point, but I
394. wanted to be polight to the ticket-taker whose this really pretty girl who was
395. in my art class and who told me she highly reckon mended it. I use to be scared
396. of talking to her, but now that I’m more mature, it was EZ-PZ. By the way, have
397. I ever mentioned I’m a conasuer of movie-theater popcorn? Even though I’m lack
398. toast and tolerant, I can eat movie popcorn because there’s not real butter on
399. it, but it tastes like it. Another words, sometimes fake can be good.</div>
400. <div class="MsoNormal">
401. <o:p></o:p></div>
402. <div class="MsoNormal">
403. <br /></div>
404. <div class="MsoNormal">
405. OK, so somehow the cop figures out that the killer and his
406. squad car partner are one in the same. A bunch of other stuff happens in a
407. world wind of action, with the proverbeal apoclyeptic shoot out. Plus the
408. killer cops’ mom commits sewer-side because she’s so sad and blames herself.
409. That’s as much as I can remember.<o:p></o:p></div>
410. <div class="MsoNormal">
411. <br /></div>
412. <div class="MsoNormal">
413. I told the pretty ticket-taker Noah fence, but I don’t agree
414. with your feelings about the movie. She was cool about it. Maybe we should get
415. married. I’m a pretty funny guy. Wouldn’t it be hirlaous if I asked her and she
416. said yes?<o:p></o:p></div>
417. <div class="MsoNormal">
418. <br /></div>
419. <div class="MsoNormal">
420. Did you like this story? To post a comment, click below
421. where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having
422. trouble leaving comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because
423. third-party cookies have been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser
424. settings and see if that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave
425. comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
426. <div class="MsoNormal">
427. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
428. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
429. in.</div>
430. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/595743118138164570/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/bald-patches.html#comment-form' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/595743118138164570'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/595743118138164570'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2019/01/bald-patches.html' title='Bald Patches'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrRvG5TaRucIMNPEg6k_EJCCTiYD3Zj7sBg-vBEARH_ZkR-P9qd5FNDGzuP_4ZKzRvRH0YBz9LNrLUMFAt5nPULAPY7a5xjgqWS6adGEI3j0JCCVlxxnj1lKgS2FoJ-BPVHbEjnwICzk/s72-c/Popcorn.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-3013180648708729745</id><published>2018-12-27T14:06:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2018-12-27T14:06:52.058-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="comfort zones"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Flying Wallendas"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Nik Wallenda"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="taking risks"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Working Without a Net"/><title type='text'>Working Without a Net</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
431. <div class="MsoNormal">
432. Zestful Blog Post #296</div>
433. <div class="MsoNormal">
434. <br /></div>
435. <div class="MsoNormal">
436. One day when I was a little kid, I was feeding my budding
437. morbid fascination by looking at pictures in LIFE magazine of a terrible accident
438. involving the Flying Wallendas. They were a circus high-wire act, their
439. breathtaking finale being a seven-person pyramid on the wire, with no safety
440. net. During a performance in Detroit, my hometown, one of the performers lost
441. his balance and the pyramid collapsed, killing two and paralyzing another. My
442. mother, passing by, remarked, “You know, you’re related to them.”<o:p></o:p></div>
443. <div class="MsoNormal">
444. <br /></div>
445. <div class="MsoNormal">
446. I was dumbfounded, but no more information was forthcoming.
447. Eventually I learned a little more about the alleged connection, on my father’s
448. side of the family. Which helps explain how easily he would jump up and grab
449. the clothes pole in the backyard and flip himself over it, then sling himself
450. down with complete gracefulness: had to be genetic, right? Many times I’ve
451. thought about the Wallendas, especially in recent years when seventh-generation
452. Nik Wallenda made huge, net-free crossings of places like Niagara Falls and the
453. Grand Canyon.<o:p></o:p></div>
454. <div class="MsoNormal">
455. <br /></div>
456. <div class="MsoNormal">
457. And I think about doing things that are risky, and about
458. writing, and about working without a net. When you don’t have a net, you have
459. to pay better attention. If you fall, you can take others down with you. This
460. could promote fear and over-caution if we let it.</div>
461. <div class="MsoNormal">
462. <br /></div>
463. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
464. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVElsosszcW4YlvqzzwbNRu2dtDOHVRSQ0iXOzB-ona9g7JQI4rXOni2sw8RNxht1AzFAuwRod8umrUrWMU1PljI6_iTiV23x1AQXyJDd_JB8v5CODi016dZ70eWoBpZ5-LsczWpeafQ/s1600/Flying+Wallendas+fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVElsosszcW4YlvqzzwbNRu2dtDOHVRSQ0iXOzB-ona9g7JQI4rXOni2sw8RNxht1AzFAuwRod8umrUrWMU1PljI6_iTiV23x1AQXyJDd_JB8v5CODi016dZ70eWoBpZ5-LsczWpeafQ/s400/Flying+Wallendas+fall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
465. <div class="MsoNormal">
466. <br /></div>
467. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
468. [The disaster unfolds. Photo by Don Sudnik]</div>
469. <div class="MsoNormal">
470. <br /></div>
471. <div class="MsoNormal">
472. Because to be honest, comfort zones have value. Without
473. some level of comfort, you won’t consider taking a risk at all. It’s just that
474. if we build up too much safety, too much comfort, the comfort zone can become a
475. cocoon that becomes a coffin. Much of the nets we build are illusions anyway.
476. As you can see, I haven’t fully figured this stuff out.</div>
477. <div class="MsoNormal">
478. <o:p></o:p></div>
479. <div class="MsoNormal">
480. <br /></div>
481. <div class="MsoNormal">
482. Specific ways to work without a net:<o:p></o:p></div>
483. <div class="MsoNormal">
484. <br /></div>
485. <div class="MsoNormal">
486. - Writing outside your genre / trying something totally new.<o:p></o:p></div>
487. <div class="MsoNormal">
488. - Writing about family members or close friends.<o:p></o:p></div>
489. <div class="MsoNormal">
490. - Writing outside your sex / race / socio-economic level.<o:p></o:p></div>
491. <div class="MsoNormal">
492. - Making your writing public: There’s no net, nowhere to
493. hide when anybody can post a review of your work.<o:p></o:p></div>
494. <div class="MsoNormal">
495. <br /></div>
496. <div class="MsoNormal">
497. What are the rewards? Working without a net can be
498. salubrious to one’s heart and guts. Nets take away the danger, and the point
499. is, danger is part of the art. This is a huge thing that many artists spend
500. their lives trying to deny. Then there’s the fact that a net can hurt you too:
501. The Wallendas worked without one because if you fall, you can bounce off the
502. net and fatally hit your head on the nearby concrete. (As one Wallenda did,
503. before the Detroit disaster.)<o:p></o:p></div>
504. <div class="MsoNormal">
505. <br /></div>
506. <div class="MsoNormal">
507. Self-publishing is a lot like walking the wire without a
508. net. If you quit your publisher, or your publisher quits you, do you run back
509. to the platform, or do you keep walking the wire on your own? Will anybody
510. respond to this writing?<o:p></o:p></div>
511. <div class="MsoNormal">
512. <br /></div>
513. <div class="MsoNormal">
514. When Nik Wallenda was on the wire above the Grand Canyon,
515. the wind shifted, and he was buffeted. The wind is like the zeitgeist. It can
516. shift, and it probably will shift, and we will be buffeted. We shrug and go on.<o:p></o:p></div>
517. <div class="MsoNormal">
518. <br /></div>
519. <div class="MsoNormal">
520. Is the bottom line really that there are no nets? There is
521. no such thing as complete security, much as we might wish for it. The key to writing
522. well (and of course the key to life) is to embrace the risk, let it all hang
523. out, and accept the outcome wholeheartedly. Only by accepting risk (while not
524. being reckless), can truly extraordinary art come out.<o:p></o:p></div>
525. <div class="MsoNormal">
526. <br /></div>
527. <div class="MsoNormal">
528. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
529. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
530. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
531. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
532. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
533. <div class="MsoNormal">
534. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
535. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
536. in.</div>
537. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/3013180648708729745/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/working-without-net.html#comment-form' title='10 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/3013180648708729745'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/3013180648708729745'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/working-without-net.html' title='Working Without a Net'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVElsosszcW4YlvqzzwbNRu2dtDOHVRSQ0iXOzB-ona9g7JQI4rXOni2sw8RNxht1AzFAuwRod8umrUrWMU1PljI6_iTiV23x1AQXyJDd_JB8v5CODi016dZ70eWoBpZ5-LsczWpeafQ/s72-c/Flying+Wallendas+fall.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>10</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-9178518990316666230</id><published>2018-12-20T12:10:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2018-12-20T12:10:08.168-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="evil geese"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="for the hell of it"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="pond life"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="swans"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Your Pair of Swans"/><title type='text'>Your Pair of Swans</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
538. <div class="MsoNormal">
539. Zestful Blog Post #295</div>
540. <div class="MsoNormal">
541. <br /></div>
542. <div class="MsoNormal">
543. One day a few months ago, a pair of swans (pictured below) appeared
544. in the pond across from our upstairs window. We were like, WTF? That is so
545. cool! We began watching the huge gorgeous birds avidly as we got ready for our
546. day. Marcia, particularly, was enchanted, and set out to know how the swans got
547. there.<o:p></o:p></div>
548. <div class="MsoNormal">
549. <br /></div>
550. <div class="MsoNormal">
551. After some sleuthing, she learned that our neighbors across
552. the way (strangers to us) decided they wanted swans. Their house backs up to
553. the pond, which is the property of a golf course. Our houses border the course.
554. The neighbors checked with the golf course management and the local vigilante—er,
555. homeowner—associations, who all said, hey sure, swans would be cool! So they
556. ordered their swans from whatever swan ranch, set up a care plan for them, and
557. are looking after them.<o:p></o:p></div>
558. <div class="MsoNormal">
559. <br /></div>
560. <div class="MsoNormal">
561. The swans glide around and nibble the vegetation and small
562. critters like worms and mollusks in the pond, which has a couple of islets in
563. the middle. The neighbors set up a little swan shelter, which looks like an
564. upside-down playpen, on shore for when they want shade. Early every morning, one
565. of the neighbors brings out a red bucket and puts out some swan chow
566. (presumably to ensure adequate nutrition in addition to what might be available
567. from the pond). The swans come up and have breakfast, then they go back to the
568. pond and its various social activities. Ducks, herons, grebes, ospreys, and other
569. species enjoy the habitat too. Side note: reportedly, swans will chase off
570. troublesome geese that like to hog all the food in a small pond.<o:p></o:p></div>
571. <div class="MsoNormal">
572. <br /></div>
573. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
574. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR96VBGN-fgn3Hk8XMyS4q0ZZOENtR-1zewd4k5AyYAmYacbWM6FhKug21tzMItfhoOG6_b_DDIdvMG5xYFXvuqiXg2qqilvI_HWVkSZAmA6_diQ8Fg_hyphenhyphendsbPB0tUycM5BFEKcLocA5M/s1600/20181213_083851+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR96VBGN-fgn3Hk8XMyS4q0ZZOENtR-1zewd4k5AyYAmYacbWM6FhKug21tzMItfhoOG6_b_DDIdvMG5xYFXvuqiXg2qqilvI_HWVkSZAmA6_diQ8Fg_hyphenhyphendsbPB0tUycM5BFEKcLocA5M/s400/20181213_083851+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
575. <div class="MsoNormal">
576. <o:p><br /></o:p></div>
577. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
578. [Merry
579. Christmas, if you celebrate it, and/or happy holidays to you from Marcia and me—</div>
580. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
581. and
582. the swans.]<o:p></o:p></div>
583. <div class="MsoNormal">
584. <br /></div>
585. <div class="MsoNormal">
586. We enjoy the show in the mornings. And we have learned that
587. if you have the proper space and about $2,500 and you want a pair of White Mute
588. Swans, well by God, you can have them. The deeper truth is hey, what would make
589. you happy? Admittedly, not everyone is equipped to afford and care for a pair
590. of swans. But is there something that would bring you joy, for the hell of it? Have
591. you gotten into the habit of thinking it’s just not within reach, or even practical?
592. Perhaps now is the time to challenge that thought. Perhaps it’s time to order
593. your swans.<o:p></o:p></div>
594. <div class="MsoNormal">
595. <br /></div>
596. <div class="MsoNormal">
597. What is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i> pair
598. of swans? To post, click below where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’
599. or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving comments on this or other blogs,
600. it’s probably because third-party cookies have been turned off in your browser.
601. Go into your browser settings and see if that’s the case. Then turn them on
602. again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
603. <div class="MsoNormal">
604. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
605. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
606. in.</div>
607. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/9178518990316666230/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/your-pair-of-swans.html#comment-form' title='9 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/9178518990316666230'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/9178518990316666230'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/your-pair-of-swans.html' title='Your Pair of Swans'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR96VBGN-fgn3Hk8XMyS4q0ZZOENtR-1zewd4k5AyYAmYacbWM6FhKug21tzMItfhoOG6_b_DDIdvMG5xYFXvuqiXg2qqilvI_HWVkSZAmA6_diQ8Fg_hyphenhyphendsbPB0tUycM5BFEKcLocA5M/s72-c/20181213_083851+%25282%2529.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>9</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-6052167849681452005</id><published>2018-12-13T11:15:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2018-12-13T11:15:23.080-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Animal Farm"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Exploitation Words"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="George Orwell"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Ivan the Terrible"/><title type='text'>Exploitation Works</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
608. <div class="MsoNormal">
609. Zestful Blog Post #294<o:p></o:p></div>
610. <div class="MsoNormal">
611. <br /></div>
612. <div class="MsoNormal">
613. Exploitation Works<o:p></o:p></div>
614. <div class="MsoNormal">
615. <br /></div>
616. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
617. Exploitation is a thing, and it can be used. I wrote about this a few years ago, but want to give you some more specifics here. There are
618. successful authors who appeal to the deepest-held beliefs / prejudices /
619. yearnings of their audiences, once they’ve found them. Exploitation feeds on and
620. encourages the time-honored us-versus-them dynamic. That’s not a comfortable
621. dynamic for everyone all the time, but it resonates somewhere in every human
622. heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
623. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
624. <br /></div>
625. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
626. A simple example might be a young adult book wherein a
627. brave, outrageous cadre of students overthrows the mean old teachers, showing
628. them they’re not so smart. The teachers learn from the students! Something that
629. doesn’t often follow is the answer to the question: Now will the new rulers be
630. kindly overlords? George Orwell’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal
631. Farm</i> explored this question, and as we might remember, things don’t look so
632. great at the end of the story, which is a new beginning for the animals on the
633. farm.<o:p></o:p></div>
634. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
635. <br /></div>
636. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
637. Exploitative stories often rely on stereotypes, which
638. themselves represent a fascinating subtopic. To whom does the stereotypical mean
639. Republican appeal? A hardcore Democrat might say, “That’s no stereotype! That’s
640. simply reality!” To whom does the strong-but-dumb boyfriend stereotype appeal?
641. How about the lazy immigrant? The suffering artist? The kind-hearted criminal?
642. The trigger-happy cop? The angry-yet-somehow-perfect-in-every-way revolutionary?<o:p></o:p></div>
643. <div class="MsoNormal">
644. <br /></div>
645. <div class="MsoNormal">
646. It’s not by accident that more male readers enjoy (and buy) thrillers
647. with strong, brave protagonists who win in the end. Not by accident that more
648. women like romances where the plucky protagonist gets the handsome swashbuckler
649. in the end. With a big, perfect wedding.<o:p></o:p></div>
650. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
651. <br /></div>
652. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
653. Novelists, filmmakers, religious leaders, and
654. politicians have learned exploitation works. It’s button-pushing, and for what
655. it is, it can be effective. There is, of course, the danger of exploitation
656. backfiring on you, making you seem like a vindictive, unimaginative boob.<o:p></o:p></div>
657. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
658. <br /></div>
659. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
660. <o:p></o:p></div>
661. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
662. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobYnqjkoFaH-h5tzjTjZwUKFcNuDdVlHrK3llN2KdsYkFkQog1RstcRT74epz8HAAdzscNWxYBl8zPnrYMgYkAdpWhy-L9bZFEBcKjjRgrP0dum3XdrZwgmSWaHucIrmSrxZB-UgngGo/s1600/Ivan+the+Terrible+-+unsure+re+copyright+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="700" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobYnqjkoFaH-h5tzjTjZwUKFcNuDdVlHrK3llN2KdsYkFkQog1RstcRT74epz8HAAdzscNWxYBl8zPnrYMgYkAdpWhy-L9bZFEBcKjjRgrP0dum3XdrZwgmSWaHucIrmSrxZB-UgngGo/s320/Ivan+the+Terrible+-+unsure+re+copyright+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Ivan the Terrible - not sure if public domain" width="320" /></a></div>
663. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
664. </div>
665. <br />
666.  
667.  
668. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
669. <br /></div>
670. <div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
671. [Ivan was definitely Terrible]<o:p></o:p></div>
672. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
673. <br /></div>
674. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
675. But seriously, look closely at the novels you read and
676. see if you can figure out where the exploitation is. Not all of it is
677. heavy-handed; you can find subtle examples all over the place, and you can
678. learn from them. Key into your emotions as you read: Why does some character or
679. plot twist appeal to you? Why does another make you uncomfortable?</div>
680. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
681. <o:p></o:p></div>
682. <div class="MsoNormal">
683. <br /></div>
684. <div class="MsoNormal">
685. Our challenge as authors is to reject cheap, obvious exploitation,
686. but embrace the good kind! Don’t be afraid to be conscious of what you’re
687. doing; don’t be afraid to calculate. We want to dive deep to engage—and,
688. really, control—our readers’ emotions. The best way to do this is get to know
689. your characters really well. Respect them, and look for their complexity and
690. depth. Then think deeply about your ideal reader.<o:p></o:p></div>
691. <div class="MsoNormal">
692. <br /></div>
693. <div class="MsoNormal">
694. Is your ideal reader a 40-year-old divorced airline pilot?
695. Well, you can certainly create a main character who happens to be a 40-year-old
696. divorced airline pilot. Wouldn’t just about any guy or gal like that want to be
697. a hero in the air? Yes! It’s easy. You don’t have to make your pilot bring down
698. the plane safely while killing all the bad guys with a ballpoint pen, but you
699. might make your pilot do something hard and satisfying, like navigate around a
700. mountain in the fog without instruments. (Can pilots do that? I don’t know, but
701. you’ll research it.) And hey, your ideal reader might have a secret desire to
702. do something really bad—like enter the underworld of drug smuggling. Well, your
703. character can do that, and you will make sure they’re supremely successful at
704. it! You can dream up all kinds of good ideas from this perspective.<o:p></o:p></div>
705. <div class="MsoNormal">
706. <br /></div>
707. <div class="MsoNormal">
708. Play matchmaker between your readers and your characters! Be
709. shrewd! Make exploitation work for you. Your readers will love you for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
710. <div class="MsoNormal">
711. <br /></div>
712. <div class="MsoNormal">
713. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
714. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
715. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
716. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
717. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
718. <div class="MsoNormal">
719. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
720. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
721. in.</div>
722. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6052167849681452005/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/exploitation-works.html#comment-form' title='6 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/6052167849681452005'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/6052167849681452005'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/exploitation-works.html' title='Exploitation Works'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobYnqjkoFaH-h5tzjTjZwUKFcNuDdVlHrK3llN2KdsYkFkQog1RstcRT74epz8HAAdzscNWxYBl8zPnrYMgYkAdpWhy-L9bZFEBcKjjRgrP0dum3XdrZwgmSWaHucIrmSrxZB-UgngGo/s72-c/Ivan+the+Terrible+-+unsure+re+copyright+%25282%2529.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-6216491924165801742</id><published>2018-12-06T12:23:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2018-12-06T12:23:51.628-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="commitment"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="medieval fair"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="nicely proportioned firewood"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="relinquishing control"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Your Whole Self"/><title type='text'>Your Whole Self</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
723. <div class="MsoNormal">
724. Zestful Blog Post #293<o:p></o:p></div>
725. <div class="MsoNormal">
726. <br /></div>
727. <div class="MsoNormal">
728. A few weeks ago Marcia and I went to the local medieval fair
729. and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We stopped to watch one of the games, where
730. you slam a steel pad with a sledgehammer to make a heavy slug ride up a
731. vertical rail. The harder you hit it, the higher the slug flies, the chief goal
732. being to make the slug strike the bell at the top, producing a ringing sound
733. that attracts the attention of all nearby, who gaze admiringly at absolute
734. strength personified. You buy five tries for a dollar or a shilling or a peck
735. of meal or whatever. A young teenager was trying. He really wanted to hit that
736. bell, but kept falling short. The bearded, leather-jerkin-wearing man running
737. the game advised him, “Squat as you bring the hammer down.” He did so. Magic. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ding!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
738. <div class="MsoNormal">
739. <br /></div>
740. <div class="MsoNormal">
741. It was just like splitting firewood when we lived in the forest.
742. After experimenting with various methods, I found that iron wedges and a small
743. sledge worked best and safest for me. (Just a hatchet for splitting kindling.) You
744. set the round you want to split on end, on your splitting stump, and you find a
745. crack near the edge and tap in your wedge. And if you do it enough, you learn that
746. setting your legs apart, then swinging the sledge over your head and straight
747. behind your back, then bringing it down on the wedge with a fluid squatting
748. move, results in the most force. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crack!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
749. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
750. <br /></div>
751. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
752. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqt0iCJ-NEDDRvUQJGaELumZQm6oeQAZJyQ_zZJ0Ogt8wJPQYkq8qjl2sbaKR0on3uIFWwap_qxsTEg-hCXqsnhASBkAC_vqVfzxX03FVXQzxI2x5evTNP_g4kG1Cikf2S1An8-h0m8E8/s1600/Firewood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="737" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqt0iCJ-NEDDRvUQJGaELumZQm6oeQAZJyQ_zZJ0Ogt8wJPQYkq8qjl2sbaKR0on3uIFWwap_qxsTEg-hCXqsnhASBkAC_vqVfzxX03FVXQzxI2x5evTNP_g4kG1Cikf2S1An8-h0m8E8/s400/Firewood.jpg" title="nicely proportioned firewood" width="400" /></a></div>
753. <div class="MsoNormal">
754. <br /></div>
755. <div class="MsoNormal">
756. We moved along and watched the axe-throwing game. Some axes
757. bounced off the plank targets downrange, and some stuck with a satisfying <i>thunk</i>. I asked a young woman who had
758. just stuck two axes in a row what the trick was. “Step into the throw,” she
759. said, then turned away, rared back, and stepped into another throw. <i>Thunk</i>.</div>
760. <div class="MsoNormal">
761. <o:p></o:p></div>
762. <div class="MsoNormal">
763. <br /></div>
764. <div class="MsoNormal">
765. For the games and wood-splitting, the secret of success was
766. to fully commit. Put your whole self into it. Leave the familiar world behind.<o:p></o:p></div>
767. <div class="MsoNormal">
768. <br /></div>
769. <div class="MsoNormal">
770. We remember learning to ride a two-wheeler, where you had to
771. relinquish a certain amount of control in order to get the thing going. It was
772. hard to make the commitment to take both feet off the ground and pump those
773. pedals, but the concrete sidewalk was a good motivator, wasn’t it? Being
774. tentative was lethal. Once you were under way, you gained a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">different</i> kind of control, and you were
775. zooming along in a completely new environment, separated from ordinary gravity
776. by the unfamiliar miracle of gyroscopic force. And every time you got on your
777. bike from then on, you learned to minimize the length of time you were liable
778. to fall over. You learned to get those pedals going smartly, just as soon as
779. you push off. You learned to commit, and put your whole self into it.<o:p></o:p></div>
780. <div class="MsoNormal">
781. <br /></div>
782. <div class="MsoNormal">
783. Aren’t so many more things like that: Ziplining. Striking a
784. match. Getting on the school bus. Releasing an arrow. Saying, “I do.” Writing a
785. story.<o:p></o:p></div>
786. <div class="MsoNormal">
787. <br /></div>
788. <div class="MsoNormal">
789. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
790. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
791. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
792. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
793. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
794. <div class="MsoNormal">
795. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
796. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
797. in.</div>
798. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/6216491924165801742/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/your-whole-self.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/6216491924165801742'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/6216491924165801742'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/your-whole-self.html' title='Your Whole Self'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqt0iCJ-NEDDRvUQJGaELumZQm6oeQAZJyQ_zZJ0Ogt8wJPQYkq8qjl2sbaKR0on3uIFWwap_qxsTEg-hCXqsnhASBkAC_vqVfzxX03FVXQzxI2x5evTNP_g4kG1Cikf2S1An8-h0m8E8/s72-c/Firewood.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-2057977232428455317</id><published>2018-11-29T13:51:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2018-11-29T13:51:14.852-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Katherine Anne Porter"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="People who like people"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Stolen Gold?"/><title type='text'>Stolen Gold?</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
799. <div class="MsoNormal">
800. Zestful Blog Post #292<o:p></o:p></div>
801. <div class="MsoNormal">
802. <br /></div>
803. <div class="MsoNormal">
804. I’m always suspicious of anyone who claims to “like people.”
805. Because, my gosh, what a motley assortment we are.<o:p></o:p></div>
806. <div class="MsoNormal">
807. <br /></div>
808. <div class="MsoNormal">
809. As writers have been told a thousand times, the best fiction
810. is character-driven. We know that, and we prove it to ourselves over and over.
811. Which do you remember better, the sequence of events surrounding the stolen
812. gold in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Adventures of Huckleberry
813. Finn</i>, or the feeling Huck and Jim had for each other? (If you’re sitting
814. there thinking, “What stolen gold?”, then I rest my case and can knock off
815. early for a beverage and a snack.)<o:p></o:p></div>
816. <div class="MsoNormal">
817. <br /></div>
818. <div class="MsoNormal">
819. Katherine Anne Porter said, “The only thing I know about
820. people is exactly what I have learned from the people right next to me.” She
821. knew that to write about people, we have to pay attention to them.<o:p></o:p></div>
822. <div class="MsoNormal">
823. <br /></div>
824. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
825. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKMpPXB9XHw7iGW1MvcGrgI7Hll5jG4UYirE_mX3j8SoBJiz0QrWyDS_MEU2bxonwe7gDMVEl_MEejpZDFiao_cq2plgzUQbUerv1pd6drvymFjC3PGFHyc2Hb_Ai7EzR2eJ7obNAyXY/s1600/People+in+a+crowd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKMpPXB9XHw7iGW1MvcGrgI7Hll5jG4UYirE_mX3j8SoBJiz0QrWyDS_MEU2bxonwe7gDMVEl_MEejpZDFiao_cq2plgzUQbUerv1pd6drvymFjC3PGFHyc2Hb_Ai7EzR2eJ7obNAyXY/s400/People+in+a+crowd.JPG" title="People in a crowd by Elizabeth Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
826. <div class="MsoNormal">
827. <br /></div>
828. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
829. ...and there they all are...</div>
830. <div class="MsoNormal">
831. <br /></div>
832. <div class="MsoNormal">
833. But dammit, we don’t have to <i>like</i> people. Liking has nothing to do with it. All we need
834. to be is <i>fascinated</i> by people. <i>Awed</i> by people. <i>Horrified</i> by people. <i>Inspired</i>
835. by people. And not just so we can portray them convincingly. Because through
836. people, other people, and through creating and writing about characters, we
837. find out things about ourselves. We explore and nourish ourselves. And we have
838. the best chance of producing good writing. Now go out and steal some gold.</div>
839. <div class="MsoNormal">
840. <o:p></o:p></div>
841. <div class="MsoNormal">
842. <br /></div>
843. <div class="MsoNormal">
844. Do you agree? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
845. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
846. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
847. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
848. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
849. <div class="MsoNormal">
850. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
851. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
852. in. Photo by ES</div>
853. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/2057977232428455317/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/stolen-gold.html#comment-form' title='8 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2057977232428455317'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2057977232428455317'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/stolen-gold.html' title='Stolen Gold?'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKMpPXB9XHw7iGW1MvcGrgI7Hll5jG4UYirE_mX3j8SoBJiz0QrWyDS_MEU2bxonwe7gDMVEl_MEejpZDFiao_cq2plgzUQbUerv1pd6drvymFjC3PGFHyc2Hb_Ai7EzR2eJ7obNAyXY/s72-c/People+in+a+crowd.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>8</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-3795607199352473147</id><published>2018-11-22T13:03:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2018-11-22T13:03:46.376-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Random Acts of Thankfulness 2018"/><title type='text'>Random Acts of Thankfulness 2018</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
854. <div class="MsoNormal">
855. Zestful Blog Post #291<o:p></o:p></div>
856. <div class="MsoNormal">
857. <br /></div>
858. <div class="MsoNormal">
859. Warmest wishes to you and yours for a very happy
860. Thanksgiving. Beyond health, family, friends, this imperfect gorgeous country, and
861. Marcia, I’m thankful for:<o:p></o:p></div>
862. <div class="MsoNormal">
863. <br /></div>
864. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
865. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
866. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->My readers and their parents for having given
867. birth to them, and this means <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i>,
868. dear blog friend<o:p></o:p></div>
869. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
870. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
871. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Russet apples<o:p></o:p></div>
872. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
873. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
874. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->My mechanic<o:p></o:p></div>
875. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
876. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
877. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->My students at Ringling College of Art and
878. Design who take my class seriously<o:p></o:p></div>
879. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
880. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
881. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Godiva Pearls<o:p></o:p></div>
882. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
883. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
884. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Starbucks wifi (for I am a coffee whore and too
885. cheap to buy my own phone hotspot)<o:p></o:p></div>
886. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
887. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
888. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->JB Weld<o:p></o:p></div>
889. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
890. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
891. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Professional hockey<o:p></o:p></div>
892. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
893. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
894. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->People who take on tough tasks and do them as
895. best they damn can<o:p></o:p></div>
896. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
897. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
898. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Scout Finch<o:p></o:p></div>
899. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
900. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
901. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Peanut butter toast<o:p></o:p></div>
902. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
903. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
904. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Hospice workers<o:p></o:p></div>
905. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
906. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
907. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->People who donate to hospice houses<o:p></o:p></div>
908. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
909. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
910. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The 1972 film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cabaret</i><o:p></o:p></div>
911. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
912. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
913. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The Ludwig drum company<o:p></o:p></div>
914. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
915. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
916. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Bowls of cherries<o:p></o:p></div>
917. <div class="MsoNormal">
918. <br /></div>
919. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
920. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0l-Gc_FLZqpWhLBz8vcmG_DAH_w6tJVOCdrD5yKbWVJkKh8L-t7dSm4tqk56U2muP7rpgAhdTnnez-o7Jp9J5w8PaWqM1XsrvDhCzXIQo2d0uuz8FF8amysxxtO2YY9DrqGOQT9P_uU/s1600/Bowl+of+cherries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0l-Gc_FLZqpWhLBz8vcmG_DAH_w6tJVOCdrD5yKbWVJkKh8L-t7dSm4tqk56U2muP7rpgAhdTnnez-o7Jp9J5w8PaWqM1XsrvDhCzXIQo2d0uuz8FF8amysxxtO2YY9DrqGOQT9P_uU/s320/Bowl+of+cherries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
921. <div class="MsoNormal">
922. <br /></div>
923. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
924. <o:p> </o:p> </div>
925. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
926. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
927. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Boats<o:p></o:p></div>
928. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
929. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
930. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Sister Wendy Beckett<o:p></o:p></div>
931. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
932. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
933. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Falcon Heavy 2018 and Starman<o:p></o:p></div>
934. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
935. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
936. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dame Judith Anderson<o:p></o:p></div>
937. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
938. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
939. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Videos of cute dogs on Reddit, which have made
940. me feel more warmly toward dogs<o:p></o:p></div>
941. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
942. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
943. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Colin Fletcher<o:p></o:p></div>
944. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
945. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
946. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Gas station pastries<o:p></o:p></div>
947. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
948. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
949. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Graphite, always<o:p></o:p></div>
950. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
951. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
952. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Hunter Thompson<o:p></o:p></div>
953. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
954. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
955. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Readers who send me emails saying how much they
956. like my work, which can turn a bad day right around<o:p></o:p></div>
957. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
958. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
959. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Leonard Bernstein<o:p></o:p></div>
960. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
961. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
962. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Four Roses Yellow Label<o:p></o:p></div>
963. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
964. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
965. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Saying yes<o:p></o:p></div>
966. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
967. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
968. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Saying no<o:p></o:p></div>
969. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
970. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
971. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->You know what I mean<o:p></o:p></div>
972. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
973. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
974. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->I love you<o:p></o:p></div>
975. <div class="MsoNormal">
976. <br /></div>
977. <div class="MsoNormal">
978. What are you thankful for today? To post, click below where
979. it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble
980. leaving comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party
981. cookies have been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and
982. see if that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
983. <div class="MsoNormal">
984. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
985. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
986. in. Photo by ES</div>
987. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/3795607199352473147/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/random-acts-of-thankfulness-2018.html#comment-form' title='6 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/3795607199352473147'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/3795607199352473147'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/random-acts-of-thankfulness-2018.html' title='Random Acts of Thankfulness 2018'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0l-Gc_FLZqpWhLBz8vcmG_DAH_w6tJVOCdrD5yKbWVJkKh8L-t7dSm4tqk56U2muP7rpgAhdTnnez-o7Jp9J5w8PaWqM1XsrvDhCzXIQo2d0uuz8FF8amysxxtO2YY9DrqGOQT9P_uU/s72-c/Bowl+of+cherries.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-2538879666470665282</id><published>2018-11-15T12:08:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2018-11-15T12:08:26.492-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="mountain path photo"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="other authors/writers"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Ringling College of Art &amp; Design"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Wisdom Gleaned Lately"/><title type='text'>Wisdom Gleaned Lately</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
988. <div class="MsoNormal">
989. Zestful Blog Post #290<o:p></o:p></div>
990. <div class="MsoNormal">
991. <br /></div>
992. <div class="MsoNormal">
993. I didn’t
994. ask permission to share this stuff here, and I don’t have exact quotations, and
995. I can’t in every case remember who quite said what. But most of these items are
996. from writers I’ve encountered at events at Ringling College of Art and Design,
997. as well as conferences and meetings in the last six months or so. Some are from
998. me, and some you’ve no doubt heard from others before, especially this first
999. one:<o:p></o:p></div>
1000. <div class="MsoNormal">
1001. <br /></div>
1002. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1003. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1004. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Don’t overthink it. (Don’t we all love that?)<o:p></o:p></div>
1005. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1006. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1007. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Longer passages of quick dialogue can do two
1008. things:<o:p></o:p></div>
1009. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1010. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1011. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Make for plentiful white space on the page,
1012. which is easy to read; and<o:p></o:p></div>
1013. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1014. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1015. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Take up pages in a printed book, making it look
1016. meatier than it might be. (Heh-heh.)<o:p></o:p></div>
1017. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1018. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1019. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Time spent getting to know your characters on a
1020. deep level is time well spent.<o:p></o:p></div>
1021. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1022. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1023. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->It’s hard to make money as an author.<o:p></o:p></div>
1024. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1025. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1026. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Some authors make great money. The foolproof how-to
1027. formula is unclear.<o:p></o:p></div>
1028. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1029. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1030. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->It’s easy to get published.<o:p></o:p></div>
1031. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1032. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1033. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->It’s hard to get published.<o:p></o:p></div>
1034. <div class="MsoNormal">
1035. <br /></div>
1036. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1037. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf7F3tWRVMghX7ua9KFgTEsCnk55BmtOGcid4Jzza2hPuGuz6d5X_bUgRjBbOY88G5WOG3oXPtBTdTaDkKLn9T6bXCyW0I5Fo7ghCWbRxLNe4R4wYQhBDJNaJqTLCZJ_DdubrOCWy3Ro/s1600/Path+in+mountains.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf7F3tWRVMghX7ua9KFgTEsCnk55BmtOGcid4Jzza2hPuGuz6d5X_bUgRjBbOY88G5WOG3oXPtBTdTaDkKLn9T6bXCyW0I5Fo7ghCWbRxLNe4R4wYQhBDJNaJqTLCZJ_DdubrOCWy3Ro/s400/Path+in+mountains.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
1038. <div class="MsoNormal">
1039. <br /></div>
1040. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1041. <o:p>[Gotta climb ev'ry mountain...]</o:p></div>
1042. <div class="MsoNormal">
1043. <br /></div>
1044. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1045. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1046. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Social media sucks and does nothing for your
1047. career.<o:p></o:p></div>
1048. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1049. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1050. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Social media is great and can help your career a
1051. lot.<o:p></o:p></div>
1052. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1053. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1054. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->One gets lonely.<o:p></o:p></div>
1055. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1056. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1057. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Collaborating with other authors (writing books
1058. with them) can be:<o:p></o:p></div>
1059. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1060. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1061. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Fraught with icky drama, making you not want to
1062. do it anymore, like when somebody else claims credit for your idea, just the
1063. same as in other group projects we’ve all dealt with.<o:p></o:p></div>
1064. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1065. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1066. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Really great, especially if it’s just one other
1067. person you like and trust.<o:p></o:p></div>
1068. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1069. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1070. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Most of us are too uptight.<o:p></o:p></div>
1071. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1072. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1073. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->You should stick with one genre and make a name
1074. there.<o:p></o:p></div>
1075. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1076. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1077. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Experiment widely in different genres if you
1078. feel like it; you never know when you’ll hit it big with some new thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
1079. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1080. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1081. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A pseudonym can jump-start your career in a new
1082. direction.<o:p></o:p></div>
1083. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1084. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1085. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->To write a good action scene, such as a fight:<o:p></o:p></div>
1086. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1087. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1088. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Give a quick overview, then<o:p></o:p></div>
1089. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1090. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1091. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Get into some deep detail, then<o:p></o:p></div>
1092. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1093. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1094. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Pull back again to the ‘long shot,’ so to speak.<o:p></o:p></div>
1095. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1096. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">  
1097. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Rinse and repeat.<o:p></o:p></div>
1098. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1099. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1100. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Every one of us is walking—or running, or
1101. plunging, or staggering—along a different path. No two careers are exactly
1102. alike.<o:p></o:p></div>
1103. <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1104. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">      
1105. </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Therefore I say: Let’s trust our own paths,
1106. rocks and wrong turns and all. Because we’re getting somewhere. And sometimes the view is great.<o:p></o:p></div>
1107. <div class="MsoNormal">
1108. <br /></div>
1109. <div class="MsoNormal">
1110. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
1111. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
1112. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
1113. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
1114. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments. [Photo by ES]<o:p></o:p></div>
1115. <div class="MsoNormal">
1116. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1117. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1118. in.</div>
1119. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/2538879666470665282/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/wisdom-gleaned-lately.html#comment-form' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2538879666470665282'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2538879666470665282'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/wisdom-gleaned-lately.html' title='Wisdom Gleaned Lately'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRf7F3tWRVMghX7ua9KFgTEsCnk55BmtOGcid4Jzza2hPuGuz6d5X_bUgRjBbOY88G5WOG3oXPtBTdTaDkKLn9T6bXCyW0I5Fo7ghCWbRxLNe4R4wYQhBDJNaJqTLCZJ_DdubrOCWy3Ro/s72-c/Path+in+mountains.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-4145575893969198357</id><published>2018-11-08T13:28:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2018-11-08T13:28:53.576-05:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="gym class"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="intentional learning"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="story development skills"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Tarzan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="The Climbing Rope"/><title type='text'>The Climbing Rope</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1120. <div class="MsoNormal">
1121. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zestful Blog Post #289<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1122. <div class="MsoNormal">
1123. <br /></div>
1124. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1125. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back
1126. in elementary school I was neither the first nor last kid picked for teams; I
1127. was unathletic enough to not be chosen first, but popular enough not to be
1128. chosen last. Gosh, remember when we did that? I understand these days they
1129. don't let kids choose up sides, because of self-esteem. Gym was OK except for
1130. one dreadful piece of equipment: the climbing rope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1131. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1132. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1133. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1134. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
1135. rope, a hairy hemp freighter hawser thicker than an eight-year-old's thigh,
1136. started in a knot at waist level, then ascended nearly out of view, affixed to
1137. the ceiling two storeys up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1138. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1139. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1140. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1141. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every
1142. gym session, the teacher would tell us to line up and take turns climbing the
1143. rope. Success, of course, was measured by how far you climbed. Kids who made it
1144. all the way to the top, daringly slapping the iron swivel, then sliding
1145. dramatically down like firefighters or sailors, were like gods to me. (Oh, it
1146. was safe! The teacher dragged a small gym mat under the rope!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1147. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1148. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1149. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1150. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
1151. couldn't climb the thing at all. Not one inch. When my turn came, I'd sigh and
1152. take hold of the rope and try to pull myself up. I just couldn't do it. I had
1153. the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">desire</i> to do it, but when I
1154. pulled with my hands, nothing happened. I hung there like a grape until the
1155. teacher, a loose-jowled guy who wore loafers and dress pants, would say 'next' in
1156. a bored voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1157. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1158. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1159. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1160. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
1161. an adult, I'd wonder about that rope now and then. The breakthrough came when I
1162. was being weekend-lazy, watching an old Tarzan movie on TV. By God, there it
1163. was: Tarzan grabbed that vine and climbed it, and he used <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not just his arms but his legs too.</i> He didn't clasp that vine in
1164. his hands, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hugged</i> it. And he
1165. wrapped his legs around it and bent them like a frog's, then, pinching the vine
1166. with his legs, sort of stood up. He regripped the vine with his arms, frogged
1167. his legs up again, and kept going. (To the admiring gazes of Jane and Boy.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1168. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1169. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1170. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1171. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
1172. I remembered that the kids who made it to the top looked just like Tarzan. Why
1173. didn't I see it at the time? Why didn't I copy the other kids? I’m sure my
1174. kinetic sense wasn't very good then, and my brain wasn’t fully developed either.
1175. If the teacher—or even another kid—had broken down the moves for me, showed me
1176. and explained it to me verbally, step-by-step, I probably could have done it. I
1177. wasn't much punier than the other kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1178. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1179. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1180. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1181. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
1182. next opportunity I had to climb a rope like that—not that such opportunities
1183. come by every day—I grabbed the thing, hugged it, wrapped my leg around it,
1184. and—went up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1185. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1186. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1187. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1188. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
1189. is how I feel about aspiring authors and story development. Thousands upon
1190. thousands of stories start with a cool nugget of an idea. And then they hang
1191. there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1192. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1193. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1194. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1195. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHngTtEHLV7CgjKK5MF5YUZEJNqTm4y9HoPjUmVQNa2_moW4YyfTyGF1jJhloJfGjT9pYIaU9xYmCmN9WbuDg0jLXZkb3gvR5H18tn4ZdQ2-3aacGUcntSZt4UWSfhebOB_fk0MXjliQw/s1600/Knot+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHngTtEHLV7CgjKK5MF5YUZEJNqTm4y9HoPjUmVQNa2_moW4YyfTyGF1jJhloJfGjT9pYIaU9xYmCmN9WbuDg0jLXZkb3gvR5H18tn4ZdQ2-3aacGUcntSZt4UWSfhebOB_fk0MXjliQw/s320/Knot+photo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
1196. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1197. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1198. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1199. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
1200. the truth is, story development—getting from cool idea to fully formed story or
1201. narrative—isn't a mysterious endowment. It isn't a you-have-it-or-you-don't
1202. thing, like leprosy or royal lineage. Just like rope climbing, story
1203. development is a skill that can be learned and improved. And it’s simple: All
1204. you need to do is look closely at how successful authors do it, and realize
1205. that they’re showing you, right there on the page. Study up. Read without haste.
1206. Make notes. Ask and answer questions like:</span></span></div>
1207. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1208. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
1209. <div class="Body1" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1210. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span><!--[endif]-->How does the author move from the
1211. opening into the first conflict?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1212. <div class="Body1" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1213. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span><!--[endif]-->Who are the major characters?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1214. <div class="Body1" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1215. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span><!--[endif]-->How does each character—major or
1216. minor—serve the plot?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1217. <div class="Body1" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1218. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span><!--[endif]-->Is anything there for no reason? Or
1219. maybe I need to look closer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1220. <div class="Body1" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1221. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span><!--[endif]-->What is the author trying to tell me
1222. here, and here, and here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1223. <div class="Body1" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1224. <!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">       </span></span><!--[endif]-->How can I copy this?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1225. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1226. <br /></div>
1227. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1228. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work
1229. with what you see, and with what you seek.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1230. <div class="Body1" style="text-indent: .5in;">
1231. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
1232. <div class="MsoNormal">
1233. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
1234. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
1235. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
1236. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if
1237. that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1238. <div class="MsoNormal">
1239. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1240. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1241. in.</span></div>
1242. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/4145575893969198357/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-climbing-rope.html#comment-form' title='9 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4145575893969198357'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4145575893969198357'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-climbing-rope.html' title='The Climbing Rope'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHngTtEHLV7CgjKK5MF5YUZEJNqTm4y9HoPjUmVQNa2_moW4YyfTyGF1jJhloJfGjT9pYIaU9xYmCmN9WbuDg0jLXZkb3gvR5H18tn4ZdQ2-3aacGUcntSZt4UWSfhebOB_fk0MXjliQw/s72-c/Knot+photo.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>9</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-977048285805612330</id><published>2018-11-01T13:26:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-11-01T13:26:44.811-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="A Good Feeling to You Today"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="be that person"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="lift up your eyes"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Seneca"/><title type='text'>A Good Feeling to You Today</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1243. <div class="MsoNormal">
1244. Zestful Blog Post #288<o:p></o:p></div>
1245. <div class="MsoNormal">
1246. <br /></div>
1247. <div class="MsoNormal">
1248. Who is a hero to you? Someone alive or not, doesn't matter.
1249. What about that person is inspiring? Did they accomplish something remarkable?
1250. Did they behave admirably under extraordinary strain? What resources do you
1251. suppose they drew on to perform as they did? Physical strength? Inner courage?
1252. Endurance? Faith? Perhaps it was even humility. Because to be kind and loving
1253. when others are not requires the courage of humility: the willingness to be
1254. seen as wrong or bad. Conjure the spirit of your hero. Pretend to be that
1255. person, just for a minute. Lift your eyes and say, "I am _________."
1256. Does a feeling of calm strength come over you? It's yours now.<o:p></o:p></div>
1257. <div class="MsoNormal">
1258. <br /></div>
1259. <div class="MsoNormal">
1260. <o:p></o:p></div>
1261. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1262. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOx-R1P7RzifM0yRVRyfgDKYlrdZXL2DbZ_DaLo3tXYzu_aEGmFdzZl12T7LqQYya-7_BrW1AYoFPfrwAaa_ON1Mk1SvN1-EA-aRSbiDmEceenLN7sQpLL20mXZplH6J4iVGAsGi3bkk/s1600/Seneca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1154" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOx-R1P7RzifM0yRVRyfgDKYlrdZXL2DbZ_DaLo3tXYzu_aEGmFdzZl12T7LqQYya-7_BrW1AYoFPfrwAaa_ON1Mk1SvN1-EA-aRSbiDmEceenLN7sQpLL20mXZplH6J4iVGAsGi3bkk/s400/Seneca.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
1263. <br />
1264.  
1265.  
1266. <div class="MsoNormal">
1267. <br /></div>
1268. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1269. Seneca, one of my heroes, said, “It is quality rather than
1270. quantity that matters.”</div>
1271. <div class="MsoNormal">
1272. <o:p></o:p></div>
1273. <div class="MsoNormal">
1274. <br /></div>
1275. <div class="MsoNormal">
1276. And that’s what I wanted to give today. Who’s one of your
1277. bestest heroes, and why? To post, click below where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2
1278. Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving comments on this or
1279. other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have been turned off in
1280. your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if that’s the case. Then
1281. turn them on again in order to leave comments.</div>
1282. <div class="MsoNormal">
1283. <o:p></o:p></div>
1284. <div class="MsoNormal">
1285. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1286. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1287. in.</div>
1288. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/977048285805612330/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-good-feeling-to-you-today.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/977048285805612330'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/977048285805612330'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-good-feeling-to-you-today.html' title='A Good Feeling to You Today'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOx-R1P7RzifM0yRVRyfgDKYlrdZXL2DbZ_DaLo3tXYzu_aEGmFdzZl12T7LqQYya-7_BrW1AYoFPfrwAaa_ON1Mk1SvN1-EA-aRSbiDmEceenLN7sQpLL20mXZplH6J4iVGAsGi3bkk/s72-c/Seneca.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-5653468858523535713</id><published>2018-10-25T12:04:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-10-25T12:04:08.759-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="A Few Fast How-Tos and a Book by a Pal"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Cass Tech High School"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="faking it"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="James Misko"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="problematic Olympic figure skaters"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="The Path of the Wind"/><title type='text'>A Few Fast How-Tos and a Book by a Pal</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1289. <div class="MsoNormal">
1290. Zestful Blog Post #287<o:p></o:p></div>
1291. <div class="MsoNormal">
1292. <br /></div>
1293. <div class="MsoNormal">
1294. <b>How to deal with not
1295. having read the authors you meet.</b></div>
1296. <div class="MsoNormal">
1297. <br /></div>
1298. <div class="MsoNormal">
1299. First of all, nobody reads everybody. Upon meeting another
1300. author whom you haven't read, say, "So wonderful to meet you! I've heard
1301. great things about your work!" That's it. Don't overdo it.<o:p></o:p></div>
1302. <div class="MsoNormal">
1303. <br /></div>
1304. <div class="MsoNormal">
1305. If you need to make convo with someone for an extended
1306. period, such as being seated together at a lunch or dinner, you can say,
1307. "You know, I'm afraid I really don't know your work, but I've love to hear
1308. how you got started."<o:p></o:p></div>
1309. <div class="MsoNormal">
1310. <br /></div>
1311. <div class="MsoNormal">
1312. If it’s a trad-published author, you can ask, “Do you like
1313. your agent?” Every author who has representation is curious about every other
1314. author's agent. </div>
1315. <div class="MsoNormal">
1316. <o:p><br /></o:p></div>
1317. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1318. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju800RrcsMRUnBiwzvX8bu-3-C67PPa0PdTpgw_Lwvl1kcqthhS0skB_1m4E_8c6DZHS7tPrJstQcFxi7uceYtYm0JIg7cJU0C4kxERx17I5MOSF7NhiXt0339u7SsZZVB1g34EyUITeQ/s1600/Cass+Tech+music+room+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju800RrcsMRUnBiwzvX8bu-3-C67PPa0PdTpgw_Lwvl1kcqthhS0skB_1m4E_8c6DZHS7tPrJstQcFxi7uceYtYm0JIg7cJU0C4kxERx17I5MOSF7NhiXt0339u7SsZZVB1g34EyUITeQ/s400/Cass+Tech+music+room+%25282%2529.jpg" title="Music room at Cass Tech High, photo by E Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
1319. <div class="MsoNormal">
1320. <o:p><br /></o:p></div>
1321. <div class="MsoNormal">
1322. <b>How to be a happy tyrant.</b></div>
1323. <div class="MsoNormal">
1324. <br /></div>
1325. <div class="MsoNormal">
1326. Demand the utmost from your characters. You are both
1327. composer and conductor! Sometimes, during a demanding passage under an exacting
1328. baton, musicians strain so hard to deliver the effects asked for that they snap
1329. a string or blow their lips out of shape.<o:p></o:p></div>
1330. <div class="MsoNormal">
1331. <br /></div>
1332. <div class="MsoNormal">
1333. Only by going to the limit, and risking going past it, and
1334. suffering whatever damage might be the penalty, will we find out if what we
1335. thought was our limit is really that.<o:p></o:p></div>
1336. <div class="MsoNormal">
1337. <br /></div>
1338. <div class="MsoNormal">
1339. We can only discover new strengths by exhausting the old
1340. ones.<o:p></o:p></div>
1341. <div class="MsoNormal">
1342. <br /></div>
1343. <div class="MsoNormal">
1344. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to avoid a
1345. headbanging mistake.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
1346. <div class="MsoNormal">
1347. <br /></div>
1348. <div class="MsoNormal">
1349. If you have an opportunity to do a live event like a booksigning
1350. and they want to know good dates for you, look ahead on line and find when the
1351. next Olympics and major sporting events are going to be. Try not to schedule
1352. anything during the Olympics, the Super Bowl, Presidential election night, or,
1353. come to think of it, the soccer World Cup final sequence. The World Series is
1354. hit-and-miss (ha, I just made a pun), and not as much of a ratings draw as the
1355. other things. Kentucky Derby, I guess if you live in Kentucky.<o:p></o:p></div>
1356. <div class="MsoNormal">
1357. <br /></div>
1358. <div class="MsoNormal">
1359. I'll always hold grudges against Sarah Hughes, Irina
1360. Slutskaya, and Michelle Kwan for making nobody come to my booksigning event in
1361. San Francisco on the night of the women's Olympic figure skating finals in 2002.<o:p></o:p></div>
1362. <div class="MsoNormal">
1363. <br /></div>
1364. <div class="MsoNormal">
1365. And now for a word about a book by a buddy. Congratulations
1366. to Jim Misko on his multi-prizewinning novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
1367. <div class="MsoNormal">
1368. <br /></div>
1369. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1370. <img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGDFNhfCAuRAO_awVw9xue-ZW6T7KgRgkzAahQ5YorVcUoCca5wOaXdGnOatTeYYF7PW2nns1VcwgICl_z1enm8p3Dq2FbOydgFRzqwmE8GDQ8VMbxRU7d4yVajdFIa4y3UHnnRvRoJ4/s200/Misko+Path+of+the+Wind.jpg" title="https://amzn.to/2yxgyGY" width="132" /></div>
1371. <div class="MsoNormal">
1372. <br /></div>
1373. <div class="MsoNormal">
1374. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">From the cover:</span></div>
1375. <div class="MsoNormal">
1376. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Miles Foster is a newly
1377. minted teacher who dreams of getting a teaching job in the highly respected and
1378. financially stable Portland, Oregon school system where everything is
1379. available, and where he and his wife call home. But the only opening for his
1380. talents is in a remote lumber mill town in central Oregon, two hundred miles
1381. away. It is a poor school with forty students, and is controlled by a jealous
1382. superintendent and school board who tolerate no thinking outside the box and
1383. who conspire to destroy his teaching career.</span></div>
1384. <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
1385. <span style="color: #333333;">Miles must find a way to educate students who
1386. have been passed along regardless of what they learned, and defeat the damaging
1387. control of the school board and superintendent without losing his marriage or
1388. his job, or both.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
1389. <div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
1390. <span style="color: #333333;">Buy it </span><a href="https://amzn.to/2yxgyGY">HERE.</a></div>
1391. <div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
1392. <o:p></o:p></div>
1393. <div class="MsoNormal">
1394. <br /></div>
1395. <div class="MsoNormal">
1396. <o:p></o:p></div>
1397. <div class="MsoNormal">
1398. What do you think of today’s how-tos? To post, click below
1399. where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having
1400. trouble leaving comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because
1401. third-party cookies have been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser
1402. settings and see if that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave
1403. comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
1404. <div class="MsoNormal">
1405. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1406. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1407. in. [photo of Cass Tech High School music room by ES]</div>
1408. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/5653468858523535713/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-few-fast-how-tos-and-book-by-pal.html#comment-form' title='9 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/5653468858523535713'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/5653468858523535713'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-few-fast-how-tos-and-book-by-pal.html' title='A Few Fast How-Tos and a Book by a Pal'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju800RrcsMRUnBiwzvX8bu-3-C67PPa0PdTpgw_Lwvl1kcqthhS0skB_1m4E_8c6DZHS7tPrJstQcFxi7uceYtYm0JIg7cJU0C4kxERx17I5MOSF7NhiXt0339u7SsZZVB1g34EyUITeQ/s72-c/Cass+Tech+music+room+%25282%2529.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>9</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-354413784589863965</id><published>2018-10-18T12:06:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-10-18T12:06:08.225-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Abbie Hoffman"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Blasty"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="book pirates"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Book Thieves"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Borders"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Robin Hoods"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="scum"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Steal This Book"/><title type='text'>Book Thieves</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1409. <div class="MsoNormal">
1410. Zestful Blog Post #286<o:p></o:p></div>
1411. <div class="MsoNormal">
1412. <br /></div>
1413. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1414. I bet some of you remember <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steal This Book</i> by Abbie Hoffman, a counterculture guide that came
1415. out in 1971. I bought a copy, which tells you something about my ethics then.
1416. However, I did read it avidly and, being an impressionable youth, wished I had
1417. the guts to try some of Hoffman’s ideas for ‘sticking it to the man,’ like
1418. demanding my free buffalo from the federal government, or pretending I was
1419. hungry and broke to get food from trusting churches. Some of the stuff in it
1420. seemed just stupid to me, though, like pasting a postpaid piece of junk mail to
1421. a brick and dropping it in a mailbox so whatever corporation had to pay the
1422. postage due. Another uncomfortable one was going into a busy restaurant and
1423. eating leftover food before the tables get cleared. Ew. Not that I've led a shame-free life.<o:p></o:p></div>
1424. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1425. <br /></div>
1426. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1427. I worked in bookselling for ten years in the 1980s
1428. and 90s, first as a floor clerk (in a bookstore owned by two brothers named Tom
1429. and Louis Borders), then as a manager and regional executive. Lots of people would come in and steal books. We
1430. had a pretty good idea of how many books we lost to shrink (the retail
1431. euphemism) because once a year, we'd do a physical inventory count. You compare
1432. the stuff you have on hand with the list of stuff that's supposed to be in the
1433. store, and the difference is shrink, or shrinkage. We lost a lot of inventory.</div>
1434. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1435. <br /></div>
1436. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1437. <o:p></o:p></div>
1438. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1439. It was rare to catch a thief in the act. We had no
1440. security staff or hidden cameras. Furthermore, it was assumed that staff would
1441. not steal, especially since everybody got $25 worth of store credit every
1442. month, plus a 25% discount on everything. What can I say? Borders, in those
1443. days, was a small company in the Midwest. And I think very few employees stole;
1444. giving stuff away to employees is a good way to create good will. When the
1445. company got big, financial experts came in and convinced top management to take
1446. away store credit, and the employee discount went down to 10%, if I remember
1447. right. (Members of the corporate board of directors got 25%, which as you might
1448. imagine went over great with the rank and file.) Stores also got primitive
1449. security systems, which at first were a joke, then got somewhat better.<o:p></o:p></div>
1450. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1451. <br /></div>
1452. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1453. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD6YNRXhxQMcEjmngqJqleRkiNOFpgfBnpF_MyuuMZJ2-HioREfi_Ta8Cjd5WwogImgGjEdPSPyKeKav74tw7kVJUEd5R7Ors6va7CmWOxOclufk5r0olgbqnhuvc7JCOnIHH-lHwI0k/s1600/Books+on+shelf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1569" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD6YNRXhxQMcEjmngqJqleRkiNOFpgfBnpF_MyuuMZJ2-HioREfi_Ta8Cjd5WwogImgGjEdPSPyKeKav74tw7kVJUEd5R7Ors6va7CmWOxOclufk5r0olgbqnhuvc7JCOnIHH-lHwI0k/s400/Books+on+shelf.JPG" title="Books on shelf by E Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
1454. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1455. <br /></div>
1456. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center;">
1457. <o:p> [A look at my home sports-and-leisure, nature, and reference sections.]</o:p></div>
1458. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1459. <br /></div>
1460. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1461. Scammers would try many tricks, from trying to
1462. return stolen books for cash, to paying with bad checks, to claiming to have
1463. lost a gift certificate to fire, pet digestion, or other imaginative mishap.<o:p></o:p></div>
1464. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1465. <br /></div>
1466. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1467. The vast majority of thieves got away. But once in
1468. a while, staff would spot somebody and realize they weren't a legitimate
1469. customer. There was one guy who focused on the computer book section. Pound for
1470. pound, computer books tended to be higher-priced, and they were easy to sell to
1471. used-bookstores. This fellow would appear to be browsing the low bookcases,
1472. taking a few books off the shelf, then he'd dip down into a squat where he was
1473. hidden from view. Then he'd rise up, empty-handed but bulkier around the
1474. middle, and hustle out the door to his car.<o:p></o:p></div>
1475. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1476. <br /></div>
1477. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1478. I didn't have the nerve to confront the guy (and
1479. by the time I could get the police there he'd have been long gone), but I did
1480. follow him to his car after I clearly saw him steal. I made sure he saw me,
1481. made sure he knew I knew, and watched him go, writing down his license plate
1482. number. Never saw him again.<o:p></o:p></div>
1483. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1484. <br /></div>
1485. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1486. More shocking to me were the employees who did
1487. steal. We caught one guy, who had worked out a system of hiding books behind
1488. empty boxes in the back receiving hall. Come time to clock out, he'd leave the
1489. store via the back way, collect his booty, and walk around to the parking lot
1490. from the alley. It was too cute, and another staffer figured out what he was
1491. doing and turned him in.<o:p></o:p></div>
1492. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1493. <br /></div>
1494. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1495. Come to think of it, I have a bunch of other
1496. stories about book thieves, and maybe I’ll write them down for a future post.<o:p></o:p></div>
1497. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1498. <br /></div>
1499. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1500. Although it's never right to steal, you can
1501. understand why a hungry person would steal or cheat for food. But books, you
1502. can take them home for free from the library, or you can sit and read them
1503. right in the store.<o:p></o:p></div>
1504. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1505. <br /></div>
1506. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1507. Then we come up to ‘today,’ meaning post-digital-publishing-revolution,
1508. and we have book pirates. That term makes them seem somehow romantic, like
1509. modern-day Robin Hoods. In fact, they are scum. I subscribe to an anti-pirate
1510. service called <a href="https://www.blasty.co/" target="_blank">Blasty</a>,
1511. which searches for and somehow removes from search engines websites claiming to
1512. have my books downloadable for free. It doesn’t take down the sites or send
1513. cease-and-desist letters, but I think what they do is just about as good.<o:p></o:p></div>
1514. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1515. <br /></div>
1516. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1517. I’ve found that most of these pirate sites are merely
1518. phishing holes. For instance, if you want a free copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Actress</i>, click here and enter a bunch of your personal
1519. information: your contact info, and hey, if you keep clicking through they’ll
1520. ask for your credit card number, just as a precaution to secure your account,
1521. and hey, they won’t actually charge anything on it. I guess some people fall
1522. for all that. And of course they don’t have a digital copy of the book to give
1523. you anyway. Come back tomorrow. If Abbie Hoffman were alive today, I’ve no
1524. doubt he would learn code and try to be a hacker. But he committed suicide in
1525. 1989, partly because he was no longer under 30. Look it up if you don’t believe
1526. me.<o:p></o:p></div>
1527. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1528. <br /></div>
1529. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1530. I don’t worry too much about these pirate sites,
1531. because if somebody wants to download my book for free, that doesn’t
1532. necessarily mean they would have bought it otherwise. Lots of enraged authors
1533. miss this point. So somebody gets to read your book for free, and maybe they’d
1534. like more, and maybe they’ll eventually buy something. You can’t get too worked
1535. up about this stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
1536. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1537. <br /></div>
1538. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1539. But in conclusion, book pirates are scum.<o:p></o:p></div>
1540. <div class="MsoNormal">
1541. <br /></div>
1542. <div class="MsoNormal">
1543. What do you think? Do you have a book theft/piracy story? To
1544. post, click below where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever.
1545. If you’re having trouble leaving comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably
1546. because third-party cookies have been turned off in your browser. Go into your
1547. browser settings and see if that’s the case. Then turn them on again in order
1548. to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
1549. <div class="MsoNormal">
1550. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1551. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1552. in.</div>
1553. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/354413784589863965/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/book-thieves.html#comment-form' title='6 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/354413784589863965'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/354413784589863965'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/book-thieves.html' title='Book Thieves'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMD6YNRXhxQMcEjmngqJqleRkiNOFpgfBnpF_MyuuMZJ2-HioREfi_Ta8Cjd5WwogImgGjEdPSPyKeKav74tw7kVJUEd5R7Ors6va7CmWOxOclufk5r0olgbqnhuvc7JCOnIHH-lHwI0k/s72-c/Books+on+shelf.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-2370944679873631950</id><published>2018-10-11T12:14:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-10-11T12:14:01.562-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="effigy of mother in woods and other horrors"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="screw preparation"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="self-actualizing"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="You&#39;re All Right"/><title type='text'>You&#39;re All Right</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1554. <div class="MsoNormal">
1555. Zestful Blog Post #285<o:p></o:p></div>
1556. <div class="MsoNormal">
1557. <br /></div>
1558. <div class="MsoNormal">
1559. I knew a woman who made it her life’s work to become
1560. unblocked. To realize her potential. When I met her she was middle-aged, divorced,
1561. with two grown kids and a rucksack full of dreams waiting to come true.<o:p></o:p></div>
1562. <div class="MsoNormal">
1563. <br /></div>
1564. <div class="MsoNormal">
1565. But somewhere along the line she’d decided—or agreed with
1566. some shrink or shaman or dead parent—that the way she was wasn’t right enough.
1567. She ought not to act on those dreams until she’d gotten herself right.<o:p></o:p></div>
1568. <div class="MsoNormal">
1569. <br /></div>
1570. <div class="MsoNormal">
1571. She occupied herself with all sorts of things to
1572. self-actualize, to ‘awaken her inner artist’ or something, to figure out what
1573. she really should be doing, to free up, to become worthy. To become who she
1574. was. Perhaps she should sign on as an animal research assistant and observe beautiful
1575. creatures in far-flung habitats. Perhaps she should take flying lessons and try
1576. to get a job as a cargo pilot. Or perhaps she should write a novel. Fine. </div>
1577. <div class="MsoNormal">
1578. <br /></div>
1579. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1580. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEPFsF35uTq-lb2TyE-NVBz7OWHnXyiDNJGhk7mmdkcp-P2A62f05m7_vahD5tdN1hn9MY0HiARSbzhmz7j7aqNT1MYzU9qECxwy1gRdaDqLnvPy3PMCcBKq_wYGOIrEa6JM91zQVv84/s1600/Cemetery+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEPFsF35uTq-lb2TyE-NVBz7OWHnXyiDNJGhk7mmdkcp-P2A62f05m7_vahD5tdN1hn9MY0HiARSbzhmz7j7aqNT1MYzU9qECxwy1gRdaDqLnvPy3PMCcBKq_wYGOIrEa6JM91zQVv84/s400/Cemetery+2.JPG" title="Graveyard photo by Elizabeth Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
1581. <div class="MsoNormal">
1582. <br /></div>
1583. <div class="MsoNormal">
1584. <br /></div>
1585. <div class="MsoNormal">
1586. She died at age 52 of ovarian cancer before the process was
1587. complete. I sadly suspect she could have lived until 102 and still never
1588. completed her process of ‘becoming.’</div>
1589. <div class="MsoNormal">
1590. <o:p></o:p></div>
1591. <div class="MsoNormal">
1592. <br /></div>
1593. <div class="MsoNormal">
1594. I say, screw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">becoming</i>.
1595. Screw preparing. Be and do. The being and the doing will make all processing
1596. moot. Screaming at an effigy of your mother in the woods, taking ice baths or
1597. firewalks? You could. But only living freely—with openness to mistakes and
1598. crappy results—will make us live well. And only writing freely—with openness to
1599. mistakes and crappy results—will make us write well.<o:p></o:p></div>
1600. <div class="MsoNormal">
1601. <br /></div>
1602. <div class="MsoNormal">
1603. It is so very simple.<o:p></o:p></div>
1604. <div class="MsoNormal">
1605. <br /></div>
1606. <div class="MsoNormal">
1607. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, ‘No
1608. Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving
1609. comments on this or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have
1610. been turned off in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if that’s
1611. the case. Then turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
1612. <div class="MsoNormal">
1613. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1614. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1615. in. [Photo by ES]</div>
1616. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/2370944679873631950/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/youre-all-right.html#comment-form' title='16 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2370944679873631950'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2370944679873631950'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/youre-all-right.html' title='You&#39;re All Right'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEPFsF35uTq-lb2TyE-NVBz7OWHnXyiDNJGhk7mmdkcp-P2A62f05m7_vahD5tdN1hn9MY0HiARSbzhmz7j7aqNT1MYzU9qECxwy1gRdaDqLnvPy3PMCcBKq_wYGOIrEa6JM91zQVv84/s72-c/Cemetery+2.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>16</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-2862074466475698700</id><published>2018-10-04T11:52:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2018-10-04T11:52:22.051-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Blackwing 602"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="gin martinis"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Noodler&#39;s ink"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Old-School Tech Tests"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Pentel automatic pencil"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="quill pen"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="random ASCII characters"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="reed pen"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="WD November/December 2018"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Writer&#39;s Digest magazine"/><title type='text'>Old-School Tech Tests</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1617. <div class="MsoNormal">
1618. Zestful Blog Post #284<o:p></o:p></div>
1619. <div class="MsoNormal">
1620. <br /></div>
1621. <div class="MsoNormal">
1622. This beefy post is the first part of a feature I wrote for
1623. Writer’s Digest magazine's November/December 2018 issue, themed ‘the throwback
1624. issue.’ I believe it’s hitting subscriber mailboxes now; should be on
1625. newsstands now or soon. I had a great time writing this, and have already heard
1626. happy comments from enthusiastic readers who write.<o:p></o:p></div>
1627. <div class="MsoNormal">
1628. <br /></div>
1629. <div class="MsoNormal">
1630. [Excerpt begins]<o:p></o:p></div>
1631. <div class="MsoNormal">
1632. I’m an analogue girl in a digital world. I like old things
1633. and old style. I used a rotary-dial phone until the march of progress threatened
1634. to crush us both. My car just celebrated its twenty-fourth birthday. I like canvas
1635. sneakers, gin martinis, and homemade afghans.<o:p></o:p></div>
1636. <div class="MsoNormal">
1637. <br /></div>
1638. <div class="MsoNormal">
1639. But I’m a writer in contemporary times, and I’ve adapted to
1640. new technologies. Frankly, most of it has been a blur. I do remember, though,
1641. sitting alone at night in an office building sometime in the 1980s, watching my
1642. boss’s printer slowly excrete 200 pages of random ASCII characters. For all I
1643. knew, the computer was trying to tell us something. I sent the pages to the tech
1644. guys at headquarters for analysis. They still haven’t gotten back to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
1645. <div class="MsoNormal">
1646. <br /></div>
1647. <div class="MsoNormal">
1648. Fast-forward to now, when miniature microphones and voice-to-text
1649. software literally enable us to write as fast as we can talk. I understand the
1650. next phase is nearly upon us, where a machine will write my novels for me. And no
1651. doubt publish them, collect royalties, and spend the money on nice things for itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
1652. <div class="MsoNormal">
1653. <br /></div>
1654. <div class="MsoNormal">
1655. But I feel it’s time to ask: Is more tech necessarily
1656. better? Is faster better than slower? Is more output worthier than less? Is the
1657. destination more important than the journey?<o:p></o:p></div>
1658. <div class="MsoNormal">
1659. <br /></div>
1660. <div class="MsoNormal">
1661. With those questions in mind, I took it upon myself to
1662. investigate. To re-immerse myself in the materials and sensations I used to enjoy
1663. so often—and also to experiment with even older methods—I spent a weekend
1664. working on my current novel using an assortment of technology that originated
1665. between the building of the Sphinx and opening night of “My Fair Lady.”<o:p></o:p></div>
1666. <div class="MsoNormal">
1667. <br /></div>
1668. <div class="MsoNormal">
1669. On Saturday morning, I settled down at my writing table, a
1670. mug of coffee at my side and a wood-cased pencil in my hand. I chose a Blackwing
1671. 602, known for its smooth core and fragrant cedar casing. (I’d decided to skip
1672. inscribing words on stone or wet clay tablets and start with the next writing
1673. technology most closely related to those, graphite.)<o:p></o:p></div>
1674. <div class="MsoNormal">
1675. <br /></div>
1676. <div class="MsoNormal">
1677. Pencil sharpening is an act of beginning. You sit down, you
1678. gather yourself, you sharpen. You feel and hear the sharpener working—whether a
1679. cranker or handheld—and you smell that fresh wood. You behold your newly
1680. exposed graphite. If the point is sharp, you feel brief anxiety over whether the
1681. microscopic conical top section will break off as you touch it to paper.<o:p></o:p></div>
1682. <div class="MsoNormal">
1683. <br /></div>
1684. <div class="MsoNormal">
1685. I enjoy the deliberateness of the pencil experience. As you
1686. write, the point degrades to whatever degree of dullness you feel like
1687. tolerating. You rotate the point to take advantage of the wear pattern—every
1688. rotation offers a sharper edge.<o:p></o:p></div>
1689. <div class="MsoNormal">
1690. <br /></div>
1691. <div class="MsoNormal">
1692. When you write with a pencil, you are in a very real sense,
1693. drawing. You’re laying down the two-dimensional images of words. You can write
1694. little or big; with light pressure or hard; you can print carefully or race
1695. along in whatever version of cursive is yours.<o:p></o:p></div>
1696. <div class="MsoNormal">
1697. <br /></div>
1698. <div class="MsoNormal">
1699. You can erase mistakes! But if you’re on a tear, you can just
1700. strike through with vigor and keep going. Or you can flurry down a satisfying storm
1701. of obliterating zigzags. The re-sharpening pause is a balm. While sharpening,
1702. you have a chance to look up, change the focal length of your gaze, quit
1703. thinking for a moment, and use your hands differently.<o:p></o:p></div>
1704. <div class="MsoNormal">
1705. <br /></div>
1706. <div class="MsoNormal">
1707. I wrote about a thousand words with the Blackwing 602, savoring
1708. its straightforward sturdiness. You don’t have to baby a pencil; you can leave
1709. it lying around; you can even lose it without too much grief. You can write with
1710. it in a canoe or on a mountain ledge, or upside-down while lying in bed. No
1711. worries about ink, mechanisms, batteries.<o:p></o:p></div>
1712. <div class="MsoNormal">
1713. <br /></div>
1714. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1715. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6pXV9XzDlrejxGNVkYumlgoi29Z2psjvtQC_7QsmKv-JWKwac5fQ1ve5JoDc_kWRK9wkcP5ZELtFLpP8I8xSRBJm7W2l-rqFRy7TB0mLTnAEfSli4GjfPKrgxfmOCqCiZcea5AvxCCY/s1600/Writing+tools+for+WD+Old-School+article.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6pXV9XzDlrejxGNVkYumlgoi29Z2psjvtQC_7QsmKv-JWKwac5fQ1ve5JoDc_kWRK9wkcP5ZELtFLpP8I8xSRBJm7W2l-rqFRy7TB0mLTnAEfSli4GjfPKrgxfmOCqCiZcea5AvxCCY/s400/Writing+tools+for+WD+Old-School+article.jpg" title="Writing tools by E Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
1716. <div class="MsoNormal">
1717. <br /></div>
1718. <div class="MsoNormal">
1719. <o:p></o:p></div>
1720. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1721. <o:p>The assortment. </o:p></div>
1722. <div class="MsoNormal">
1723. <br /></div>
1724. <div class="MsoNormal">
1725. Mid-morning, I skipped ahead in time and unholstered my
1726. trusty plastic Pentel automatic, with a .7mm lead, in the relatively soft and
1727. bold 2B grade I like. The obvious advantage of the automatic pencil is no
1728. sharpening, no bother. You click a button or twist the barrel to advance your
1729. lead, and you can write fast and precise. The writing experience is less
1730. varied, though. That’s the price you pay.<o:p></o:p></div>
1731. <div class="MsoNormal">
1732. <br /></div>
1733. <div class="MsoNormal">
1734. With any pencil, one must bring some pressure to bear, which
1735. puts wear and tear on you. My writing elbow got sore after a few hours of
1736. pencil work.<o:p></o:p></div>
1737. <div class="MsoNormal">
1738. <br /></div>
1739. <div class="MsoNormal">
1740. After lunch I turned to a group of instruments you have to
1741. dip in ink, that marvelous liquid humans first concocted in Neolithic times. Hollow
1742. reeds served as writing tools in ancient Egypt, China, and the Middle East.
1743. They’re still used for drawing and special calligraphy.<o:p></o:p></div>
1744. <div class="MsoNormal">
1745. <br /></div>
1746. <div class="MsoNormal">
1747. I’d found a reed pen in my art box, so I started with that.
1748. It was a seven-inch-long wand about half an inch in diameter and cut to a quill-like
1749. point. I opened a bottle of black Noodler’s ink, dipped the reed in, and
1750. started writing. I blobbed too much ink down at first, then got the hang of
1751. making bold strokes.<o:p></o:p></div>
1752. <div class="MsoNormal">
1753. <br /></div>
1754. <div class="MsoNormal">
1755. I had to reload with ink every few words, however. Because
1756. of that, and apart from the novelty, the experience was wearying and just not
1757. practical. I perceived how a fine reed with an expertly-done point—and a
1758. halfway experienced scribe—could work some beauty.<o:p></o:p></div>
1759. <div class="MsoNormal">
1760. <br /></div>
1761. <div class="MsoNormal">
1762. Writing with a quill didn’t go much better. I’d found a
1763. large feather during a walk a few years ago and saved it. Now, following an
1764. online tutorial, I made a writing point from its shaft. Like the reed, the
1765. quill emitted an ugly blot before scratchily producing a contiguous line. After
1766. about ten words, it ran dry. I reloaded and kept going, but the work went
1767. slowly and vexingly. Thinking about the fact that Shakespeare wrote all of his
1768. plays with such an instrument made me nearly sick with pity. But life was
1769. slower then, and I think everybody had more patience.<o:p></o:p></div>
1770. <div class="MsoNormal">
1771. [This is the end of the excerpt. For the rest of the
1772. article, hustle out to your favorite newsstand and pick up the November/December
1773. issue of Writer’s Digest magazine.]<o:p></o:p></div>
1774. <div class="MsoNormal">
1775. <br /></div>
1776. <div class="MsoNormal">
1777. What do you think of old-school writing tech? Do you have
1778. favorite tools and practices? To post, click below where it says, ‘No Comments,’
1779. or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving comments on this
1780. or other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have been turned off
1781. in your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if that’s the case. Then
1782. turn them on again in order to leave comments. [Photo by ES]<o:p></o:p></div>
1783. <div class="MsoNormal">
1784. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1785. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1786. in.</div>
1787. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/2862074466475698700/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/old-school-tech-tests.html#comment-form' title='12 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2862074466475698700'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/2862074466475698700'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/old-school-tech-tests.html' title='Old-School Tech Tests'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6pXV9XzDlrejxGNVkYumlgoi29Z2psjvtQC_7QsmKv-JWKwac5fQ1ve5JoDc_kWRK9wkcP5ZELtFLpP8I8xSRBJm7W2l-rqFRy7TB0mLTnAEfSli4GjfPKrgxfmOCqCiZcea5AvxCCY/s72-c/Writing+tools+for+WD+Old-School+article.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>12</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-1508694071708567910</id><published>2018-09-27T10:50:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-09-27T10:50:28.157-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="imperishable quotations by grandparents"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="living life to the hilt"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="not learning to do stuff"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="sketch of cow"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Zuh Cow"/><title type='text'>Zuh Cow</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1788. <div class="MsoNormal">
1789. Zestful Blog Post #283<o:p></o:p></div>
1790. <div class="MsoNormal">
1791. <br /></div>
1792. <div class="MsoNormal">
1793. Some of my favorite imperishable quotations are from people’s
1794. grandparents. My friend Linda was musing on wisdom from her German grandmother:<o:p></o:p></div>
1795. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1796. <br /></div>
1797. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1798. “Linda. Linda. If you dun’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">learn</i> to milk zuh cow, you dun’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">haff</i> to milk zuh cow.”<o:p></o:p></div>
1799. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1800. Think about it. Not learning something excuses you
1801. from dealing with it, and that can be liberating. I mean, I’ve watched cows
1802. being milked by hand. Sometimes they smack you in the face with their damp, urine-scented
1803. tail. Good morning!</div>
1804. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1805. <br /></div>
1806. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1807. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gjLcZy75v_WLmvB7qSR-5qiVVYqTNxaphqrIw1E_dswD-7ZQHwHBT0-ueZls_6xPiYc0xyauaHz9NKNHj-QHPXOwDd4EA85vj5g4_VZeSt-jOKAwk_F-qr-9WbYYxkQr7wedaYBfF9w/s1600/Sketch+Cow+cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gjLcZy75v_WLmvB7qSR-5qiVVYqTNxaphqrIw1E_dswD-7ZQHwHBT0-ueZls_6xPiYc0xyauaHz9NKNHj-QHPXOwDd4EA85vj5g4_VZeSt-jOKAwk_F-qr-9WbYYxkQr7wedaYBfF9w/s400/Sketch+Cow+cropped.png" title="Cow by Elizabeth Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
1808. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1809. <br /></div>
1810. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1811. Cunningly avoiding learning how to do something
1812. can indeed be liberating. Most grandmas are not stupid. But being helpless, we
1813. know, can also backfire: Beyond not being able to get milk when you want it, think
1814. of all the young executives in the ’70s and ’80s who resolutely refused to
1815. learn how to type. Ambitious women especially were warned away from learning
1816. how to type, because typing was for assistants. If you typed, you were
1817. pigeonholed into a subservient role. That was the thinking. But then—“Wuh-oh.
1818. What’s this new computer thingy on my desk? It gots a keyboard! Wuh-oh!” We had
1819. a generation of executives who were clumsy on the keyboard and therefore inefficient
1820. because they didn’t learn to touch-type with all ten fingers. I mentioned a
1821. couple of years ago here that one of the best things I ever did was take a typing
1822. class in high school with a scary bastard perfectionist teacher. I use typing
1823. here just as an example. It could be plunging a clogged sink, sewing on a
1824. button, starting a campfire, reading a paper map for God’s sake, even pumping
1825. gas.</div>
1826. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1827. <o:p></o:p></div>
1828. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1829. <br /></div>
1830. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
1831. Do we want to be dependent on others? Sometimes,
1832. hell yeah. But it’s a game of subtlety and judgment. Grownups deal with
1833. whatever shit they really have to. I think Linda’s grandma really meant: Figure
1834. out what you really want in life, and screw everything else, because life’s too
1835. short to get slapped in the face by a cow.<o:p></o:p></div>
1836. <div class="MsoNormal">
1837. <br /></div>
1838. <div class="MsoNormal">
1839. What do you think? Are there things where you just go “To
1840. hell with that!” and why? Or, have you an imperishable quotation from a grandparent to share? To post, click below where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or
1841. ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever. If you’re having trouble leaving comments on this or
1842. other blogs, it’s probably because third-party cookies have been turned off in
1843. your browser. Go into your browser settings and see if that’s the case. Then
1844. turn them on again in order to leave comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
1845. <div class="MsoNormal">
1846. If you’d like to receive this blog automatically as an
1847. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1848. in.</div>
1849. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1508694071708567910/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/zuh-cow.html#comment-form' title='9 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/1508694071708567910'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/1508694071708567910'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/zuh-cow.html' title='Zuh Cow'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gjLcZy75v_WLmvB7qSR-5qiVVYqTNxaphqrIw1E_dswD-7ZQHwHBT0-ueZls_6xPiYc0xyauaHz9NKNHj-QHPXOwDd4EA85vj5g4_VZeSt-jOKAwk_F-qr-9WbYYxkQr7wedaYBfF9w/s72-c/Sketch+Cow+cropped.png" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>9</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-7660540386562920037</id><published>2018-09-20T10:46:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2018-09-20T10:46:47.808-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Bev Prescott"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Neil Plakcy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="New Books from Pals"/><title type='text'>New Books from Pals</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1850. <div class="MsoNormal">
1851. Zestful Blog Post #282</div>
1852. <div class="MsoNormal">
1853. <br /></div>
1854. <div class="MsoNormal">
1855. Now and then a pal publishes a book! Here are two recent
1856. ones I’m happy to share out. Congratulations to Bev Prescott and Neil Plakcy.<o:p></o:p></div>
1857. <div class="MsoNormal">
1858. <br /></div>
1859. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1860. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/2-Degrees-Bev-Prescott-ebook/dp/B079JY9CKV" target="_blank"><img alt=" 2 Degrees by Bev Prescott" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aXNp7KJIguiNum25BUm5kESHni60qjsjRSDlabOwbEWdcDisOaZH2qxNKpzjYtIdIwRhiJVas3qABMk0Y0hT75PIvCGBqfft1hueK4yDQzsNASKEictA3QF4Jq4sEiM51zfaDigenck/s320/Prescott+2+Degrees.jpg" title="https://www.amazon.com/2-Degrees-Bev-Prescott-ebook/dp/B079JY9CKV" width="210" /></a></div>
1861. <div class="MsoNormal">
1862. <br /></div>
1863. <div class="MsoNormal">
1864. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">In the year
1865. 2092, climate change has transformed the face of Earth. Storms, disease,
1866. famine, thirst and war show no mercy on the living. Sharon Clausen, a
1867. self-reliant farmer, has a secret apple tree—a tree that keeps Sharon and her
1868. wife, Eve, fed. </span></div>
1869. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1870. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">
1871. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1872. <span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The only other people who know of her secret, or so she
1873. thinks, is Dr. Ryan, a long-time confidant, and his wife, Areva. Once a month,
1874. Sharon and Eve travel from Maine to Boston to trade apples with Dr. Ryan for
1875. Eve’s leukemia treatment. Everything suddenly changes when Eve is kidnapped and
1876. the Ryans are murdered. Sharon learns that her best kept secrets are known and
1877. coveted by a man known as the Strelitzia—a coldly practical villain.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1878. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1879. <span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Sharon sets out on a harrowing journey across North America
1880. to rescue Eve. Along the way, she teams up with an Inuit refugee boy, a stray
1881. dog named Erik the Red, an eccentric former school teacher, a jujitsu master,
1882. an Argentinian opera star, and a brilliant scientist who leads an alliance of
1883. eclectic people known as the Qaunik. Together, this ragtag group battle
1884. horrific storms, an unrelenting desert, terrifying criminal gangs, feral
1885. humans, and the Strelitzia.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1886. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1887. <span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">In the end, Sharon must face her greatest challenge—risk all
1888. that she loves for something much greater than herself.</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
1889. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1890. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
1891. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1892. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Buy it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/2-Degrees-Bev-Prescott-ebook/dp/B079JY9CKV" target="_blank">HERE.</a></span></span></span></div>
1893. <div class="MsoNormal">
1894. <br /></div>
1895. <div class="MsoNormal">
1896. <o:p></o:p></div>
1897. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1898. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Dying-Art-Angus-Green-ebook/dp/B07G4LQ4DB" target="_blank"><img alt=" Neil Plakcy Survival Dying Art" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaAAaM5FAF6f4P2lYwTMzMqP1V3DXtvUCece1b4cTvvt_nt11nF7prOYrLYGaikC-XQlJ1Z7HGJcLOEOuk3BYsZkTIrd77hLJIcrwRxywYkrkGtZlSZmUxKAcJqdthWOQVk4HTdAebi0/s320/Plax+Survival+is+Dying+Art.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
1899. <br />
1900.  
1901.  
1902. <br />
1903.  
1904. <div class="MsoNormal">
1905. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; text-indent: 0in;">Special Agent
1906. Angus Green is still in his twenties, and his red hair and good looks often
1907. make people underestimate him, but he’s a smart, fearless cop who believes in
1908. the FBI motto: Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity.</span></div>
1909. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1910. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">
1911. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1912. <span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Fort Lauderdale retiree Frank Sena is working with pawn shop
1913. owner Jesse Venable to retrieve a painting stolen from Frank’s uncle, a gay
1914. Venetian killed during the Holocaust. Angus volunteers to help Frank, and
1915. discovers Venable is the subject of a task force looking into smuggling
1916. immigrants out of war-torn countries in the Middle East.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1917. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1918. <span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Angus, who knows nothing about art and speaks no Italian, may
1919. be in over his head as he is assigned to befriend, and ultimately betray,
1920. Venable. But with the help of his Italian-speaking brother and his art-loving
1921. boyfriend, he may be able not only to retrieve the painting, but solve a
1922. smuggling case and potentially save thousands of lives.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1923. <br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
1924. <span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">The investigation will take him from the sun-drenched
1925. rooftops of Venice to a private yacht speeding down Fort Lauderdale’s New
1926. River. Along the way, he’ll learn the true meaning of survival.</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
1927. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1928. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
1929. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1930. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Buy it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Dying-Art-Angus-Green-ebook/dp/B07G4LQ4DB" target="_blank">HERE.</a></span></span></span></div>
1931. <div class="MsoNormal">
1932. <br /></div>
1933. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
1934. If you’re a subscriber to this blog
1935. or to my newschat, do let me know when you’ve published a book, and I’ll shout
1936. it out one way or another, OK?<o:p></o:p></div>
1937. <div class="MsoNormal">
1938. <br /></div>
1939. <div class="MsoNormal">
1940. I love comments. To post one, click below where it says, 'No
1941. Comments,' or '2 Comments,' or whatever. Some readers have recently reported
1942. problems with posting. If you experience a problem, please let me know at <a href="mailto:esims@elizabethsims.com">esims@elizabethsims.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
1943. <div class="MsoNormal">
1944. If you'd like to receive this blog automatically as an
1945. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
1946. in.</div>
1947. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/7660540386562920037/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/new-books-from-pals.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/7660540386562920037'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/7660540386562920037'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/new-books-from-pals.html' title='New Books from Pals'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aXNp7KJIguiNum25BUm5kESHni60qjsjRSDlabOwbEWdcDisOaZH2qxNKpzjYtIdIwRhiJVas3qABMk0Y0hT75PIvCGBqfft1hueK4yDQzsNASKEictA3QF4Jq4sEiM51zfaDigenck/s72-c/Prescott+2+Degrees.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-7392019509537157277</id><published>2018-09-13T12:56:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-09-13T12:56:29.211-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="beignets"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="gotta just make the commitment"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Half an Hour to Dramatic Improvement"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="sensory input and output"/><title type='text'>Half an Hour to Dramatic Improvement</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
1948. <div class="MsoNormal">
1949. Zestful Blog Post #281<o:p></o:p></div>
1950. <div class="MsoNormal">
1951. <br /></div>
1952. <div class="MsoNormal">
1953. Here's something to try for the hell of it. (Have you done
1954. something for the hell of it this week yet?) I swear if you do this you will write
1955. about your world with greater confidence and pleasure. Even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reading</i> this will help you.<o:p></o:p></div>
1956. <div class="MsoNormal">
1957. <br /></div>
1958. <div class="MsoNormal">
1959. Go to your favorite coffeehouse and sit with your notebook.
1960. Relax your jaw. Which should prompt your neck to relax. Which should prompt
1961. your shoulders to relax, and so on down. You’re welcome. Without moving from that spot, write down everything you can
1962. sense. Open all those chakras or whatever they are and write down what you're
1963. seeing and sensing, head to toe. Don’t judge anything, just describe it.</div>
1964. <div class="MsoNormal">
1965. <o:p></o:p></div>
1966. <div class="MsoNormal">
1967. <br /></div>
1968. <div class="MsoNormal">
1969. What do you see? Start with the place and write it. Floor,
1970. walls, ceiling. What do you see through the windows? Is it day or night? What is
1971. the quality of the light—is it bright, muted, pearly, golden? Maybe it's blue,
1972. or maroon! Look into the shadows. Notice how different the light is there.
1973. Describe it. What do you hear? What's playing on the sound system, if anything?
1974. Is it loud or quiet? Do you know the tune?</div>
1975. <div class="MsoNormal">
1976. <o:p></o:p></div>
1977. <div class="MsoNormal">
1978. <br /></div>
1979. <div class="MsoNormal">
1980. Next, the people. Who's there and what are they like? What
1981. do they look like, what clothing? Who's talking and what are they saying? What
1982. are their voices like? What else do you hear? Doors banging open and shut as people
1983. come and go? Beeps from the machines behind the counter? Cell phones? The
1984. paddle fan squeaking slightly as it rotates overhead? What's that squeak like?
1985. Focus on one sound and write it thoroughly.</div>
1986. <div class="MsoNormal">
1987. <br /></div>
1988. <div class="MsoNormal">
1989. <o:p></o:p></div>
1990. <div class="MsoNormal">
1991. What do you smell? Probably a great many smells are coming
1992. together. What is the bouquet of the place? Are you smelling coffee, maybe
1993. sweets, maybe something like the mop-water disinfectant that sort of lingers
1994. very slightly beneath everything? A whiff of strong perfume or aftershave
1995. trailing behind someone like a wake from a vessel?<o:p></o:p></div>
1996. <div class="MsoNormal">
1997. <br /></div>
1998. <div class="MsoNormal">
1999. <o:p> </o:p>What are you eating and drinking? Maybe a roll and some coffee.
2000. Describe the flavors. How does each one taste separately? Consistency, texture,
2001. temperature. How do they mingle together in your mouth? What else can you
2002. describe about how they taste? Do the comestibles (love that word) bring up
2003. memories, like Proust's madeleines? What are they?</div>
2004. <div class="MsoNormal">
2005. <o:p></o:p></div>
2006. <div class="MsoNormal">
2007. <br /></div>
2008. <div class="MsoNormal">
2009. <br /></div>
2010. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2011. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVtsKkAskdoHgoK6uW2beAxjSLXzGxDA2Af_00uP06n7NdVpQMnsFnz4qSu3V8qe16C-jHJy9NRYaJqwRqm0iuM_m63wASr-5eSGPqO8uxvQ69anmUl1ky4Ss5evjngIUa4QyR2FHLik/s1600/Beignets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVtsKkAskdoHgoK6uW2beAxjSLXzGxDA2Af_00uP06n7NdVpQMnsFnz4qSu3V8qe16C-jHJy9NRYaJqwRqm0iuM_m63wASr-5eSGPqO8uxvQ69anmUl1ky4Ss5evjngIUa4QyR2FHLik/s400/Beignets.jpg" title="Beignets by E Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
2012. <div class="MsoNormal">
2013. <br /></div>
2014. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
2015. [could be beignets...]</div>
2016. <div class="MsoNormal">
2017. <br /></div>
2018. <div class="MsoNormal">
2019. Does anything else you're experiencing bring up other
2020. thoughts, memories, feelings?<o:p></o:p></div>
2021. <div class="MsoNormal">
2022. What are you sensing bodily? What is your chair like? Is it
2023. interacting with your thighs and butt in a satisfactory fashion?<o:p></o:p></div>
2024. <div class="MsoNormal">
2025. <br /></div>
2026. <div class="MsoNormal">
2027. How's your posture? How does the back of your neck feel? Has
2028. your jaw re-tightened? Can you sense air currents on your face? On your hands?
2029. On your legs if you're wearing shorts or a skirt? Describe the air currents.
2030. Where are they coming from, where are they going? Is your body sore or tight anywhere? Don't judge anything, just describe it. Are you wearing a watch or jewelry? A ring? Can you feel the
2031. jewelry on your skin? The weight of a necklace on your collarbones?</div>
2032. <div class="MsoNormal">
2033. <o:p></o:p></div>
2034. <div class="MsoNormal">
2035. <br /></div>
2036. <div class="MsoNormal">
2037. Finally: What are you sensing beneath it all? I believe in
2038. the sixth sense, or intuition. Is there a general mood in the place? If so,
2039. where's it coming from? Are the baristas a happy crew? Why, do you suppose, or
2040. why not? Is there a little corner of negativity over there
2041. surrounding that frowning customer studying his phone? Is there something
2042. creative happening over there between those three people talking excitedly? Is
2043. there something in the spirit of the place that brings you in? Something you
2044. can sense but not label? Write it as best you can and see what happens.</div>
2045. <div class="MsoNormal">
2046. <o:p></o:p></div>
2047. <div class="MsoNormal">
2048. <br /></div>
2049. <div class="MsoNormal">
2050. How do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> feel
2051. beneath your exterior? What is your deepest state right now?<o:p></o:p></div>
2052. <div class="MsoNormal">
2053. <br /></div>
2054. <div class="MsoNormal">
2055. What do you think? Have you ever done something like this? How did it go? To post, click below where it says, 'No Comments,' or '2 Comments,' or
2056. whatever.<o:p></o:p></div>
2057. <div class="MsoNormal">
2058. If you'd like to receive this blog automatically as an
2059. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
2060. in. [Photo by ES]</div>
2061. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/7392019509537157277/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/half-hour-to-dramatic-improvement.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/7392019509537157277'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/7392019509537157277'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/half-hour-to-dramatic-improvement.html' title='Half an Hour to Dramatic Improvement'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVtsKkAskdoHgoK6uW2beAxjSLXzGxDA2Af_00uP06n7NdVpQMnsFnz4qSu3V8qe16C-jHJy9NRYaJqwRqm0iuM_m63wASr-5eSGPqO8uxvQ69anmUl1ky4Ss5evjngIUa4QyR2FHLik/s72-c/Beignets.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-4641244800926542831</id><published>2018-09-06T12:43:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-09-06T12:47:30.613-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Full Emptiness"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="golf putting technique"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Oklahoma!"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Rodgers and Hammerstein"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Zen"/><title type='text'>Full Emptiness</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
2062. <div class="MsoNormal">
2063. Zestful Blog Post #280<o:p></o:p></div>
2064. <div class="MsoNormal">
2065. <br /></div>
2066. <div class="MsoNormal">
2067. 1.<o:p></o:p></div>
2068. <div class="MsoNormal">
2069. I once overheard a professional golfer say, of good putting
2070. technique, “You’ve almost gotta go brain-dead to get it perfect.” Which is so
2071. totally Zen, so totally about quieting your mind to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">allow</i> terrific performance to happen. Can you be a great putter
2072. without practice? No. But you can be a crummy putter even if you practice a
2073. lot, but habitually psych yourself out when on the course. “Is that the right
2074. line, for sure? Let’s set up that way. On the other hand, maybe I’m wrong. Oh,
2075. heck, I’ll stroke it anyway. Can’t think about it all day. Aaannd…dang.”<o:p></o:p></div>
2076. <div class="MsoNormal">
2077. <br /></div>
2078. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2079. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPZHPk13EKXkD_n5_rp2Q2fnv6BQR1KikCXwxuXnEp5mDQMKb6B7HlB3P8mmQZRVIXdVoTvztXOnRF4365O6UuqmikNAI_nvPUIoT5E1WIrlYdDuDkl_PwDUYXztdc8HR1_zp1fpNVhE/s1600/Golf+ball+and+hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPZHPk13EKXkD_n5_rp2Q2fnv6BQR1KikCXwxuXnEp5mDQMKb6B7HlB3P8mmQZRVIXdVoTvztXOnRF4365O6UuqmikNAI_nvPUIoT5E1WIrlYdDuDkl_PwDUYXztdc8HR1_zp1fpNVhE/s400/Golf+ball+and+hole.JPG" title="Golf Ball Craving the Hole by E Sims" width="400" /></a></div>
2080. <div class="MsoNormal">
2081. <o:p><br /></o:p></div>
2082. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
2083. <o:p>It wants to go in so bad.</o:p></div>
2084. <div class="MsoNormal">
2085. <br /></div>
2086. <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
2087. 2.<o:p></o:p></div>
2088. <div class="MsoNormal">
2089. There’s a line from a song in the Rodgers and Hammerstein
2090. musical <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oklahoma!</i> that goes, “Never
2091. have I asked the August sky, ‘Where has last July gone?’” Is that somehow Zen
2092. too? You bet it is: complete acceptance of what has been, and total presence in
2093. the now. No regrets. (The song is “Many a New Day”.)<o:p></o:p></div>
2094. <div class="MsoNormal">
2095. <br /></div>
2096. <div class="MsoNormal">
2097. Lessons for writers? Yeah. Sometimes I really need to remind myself of that golfer and
2098. that song.</div>
2099. <div class="MsoNormal">
2100. <o:p></o:p></div>
2101. <div class="MsoNormal">
2102. <br /></div>
2103. <div class="MsoNormal">
2104. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, 'No
2105. Comments,' or '2 Comments,' or whatever.<o:p></o:p></div>
2106. <div class="MsoNormal">
2107. If you'd like to receive this blog automatically as an
2108. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
2109. in.</div>
2110. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/4641244800926542831/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/full-emptiness.html#comment-form' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4641244800926542831'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4641244800926542831'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/full-emptiness.html' title='Full Emptiness'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPZHPk13EKXkD_n5_rp2Q2fnv6BQR1KikCXwxuXnEp5mDQMKb6B7HlB3P8mmQZRVIXdVoTvztXOnRF4365O6UuqmikNAI_nvPUIoT5E1WIrlYdDuDkl_PwDUYXztdc8HR1_zp1fpNVhE/s72-c/Golf+ball+and+hole.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-1879846603621618841</id><published>2018-08-30T12:57:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-08-30T12:57:35.341-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Cheetoh"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="extraneous thats"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="grammar"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="orange dinosaur hero"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="That Can be a Drag"/><title type='text'>That Can be a Drag</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
2111. <div class="MsoNormal">
2112. Zestful Blog Post #279<o:p></o:p></div>
2113. <div class="MsoNormal">
2114. <br /></div>
2115. <div class="MsoNormal">
2116. Too many writers use too many [that]s. It’s a reflex, I think,
2117. having to do with informal speech. Using [that] can become a habit in speech,
2118. almost as a placeholder, or filler.<o:p></o:p></div>
2119. <div class="MsoNormal">
2120. <br /></div>
2121. <div class="MsoNormal">
2122. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I want you to know that
2123. these binoculars used to work perfectly, before you gave them to Timmy to play
2124. with.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2125. <div class="MsoNormal">
2126. <br /></div>
2127. <div class="MsoNormal">
2128. You could cut the ‘that’ with no loss of meaning. Now there’s
2129. nothing inherently wrong with the word [that]—it’s a useful word:<o:p></o:p></div>
2130. <div class="MsoNormal">
2131. <br /></div>
2132. <div class="MsoNormal">
2133. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stop worrying about
2134. that police car behind us.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2135. <div class="MsoNormal">
2136. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t remember a
2137. thing after that.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2138. <div class="MsoNormal">
2139. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The whispered gossip that
2140. swept through the shire made me sick.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2141. <div class="MsoNormal">
2142. <br /></div>
2143. <div class="MsoNormal">
2144. There’s nothing even inherently wrong with extraneous thats.
2145. But they do creep into our written prose way more often than necessary,
2146. especially when used to summarize conversation or comprehension. And when you’re
2147. tasked with keeping a reader’s interest, it’s a good idea to pay attention to
2148. pace and economy, even on the most granular level. A few examples:</div>
2149. <div class="MsoNormal">
2150. <o:p></o:p></div>
2151. <div class="MsoNormal">
2152. <br /></div>
2153. <div class="MsoNormal">
2154. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He told her that he
2155. loved her.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2156. <div class="MsoNormal">
2157. Stronger:<o:p></o:p></div>
2158. <div class="MsoNormal">
2159. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He told her he loved
2160. her.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2161. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;">
2162. <br /></div>
2163. <div class="MsoNormal">
2164. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She knew that the
2165. reunion would be an ordeal.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2166. <div class="MsoNormal">
2167. Stronger:<o:p></o:p></div>
2168. <div class="MsoNormal">
2169. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">She knew the reunion
2170. would be an ordeal.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2171. <div class="MsoNormal">
2172. <br /></div>
2173. <div class="MsoNormal">
2174. [So that] can get tiring as well:<o:p></o:p></div>
2175. <div class="MsoNormal">
2176. <br /></div>
2177. <div class="MsoNormal">
2178. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ted smoothed the cloth
2179. so that it would stay flat on the table.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2180. <div class="MsoNormal">
2181. Stronger:<o:p></o:p></div>
2182. <div class="MsoNormal">
2183. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ted smoothed the cloth
2184. so it would stay flat on the table.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2185. <div class="MsoNormal">
2186. <br /></div>
2187. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2188. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjGppDH3MUj7veMBmxbgvwSBHAHah-l1kdp0bCIY7Z-wErFbYQa7Ij8XLXbn2oKMS4Hwp6ICVCTLQeT2hiAtDM_I0-vqrMsrTTsHWHkIaY87NA-rkx8F480Fu1YU6ndzfN1kQTraRGvY/s1600/Dinosaur+hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="1600" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjGppDH3MUj7veMBmxbgvwSBHAHah-l1kdp0bCIY7Z-wErFbYQa7Ij8XLXbn2oKMS4Hwp6ICVCTLQeT2hiAtDM_I0-vqrMsrTTsHWHkIaY87NA-rkx8F480Fu1YU6ndzfN1kQTraRGvY/s400/Dinosaur+hero.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2189. <div class="MsoNormal">
2190. <o:p><br /></o:p></div>
2191. <div class="MsoNormal">
2192. <i>While keeping an eye
2193. out for enemy forces, the orange dinosaur rolled boulders into the tunnel so
2194. that the treasure would be safe.</i></div>
2195. <div class="MsoNormal">
2196. Stronger:<o:p></o:p></div>
2197. <div class="MsoNormal">
2198. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">While keeping an eye
2199. out for enemy forces, the orange dinosaur rolled boulders into the tunnel so
2200. the treasure would be safe.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2201. <div class="MsoNormal">
2202. You could add a bit of punctuation to change the flavor and
2203. meaning slightly, and to be more grammatically correct:<o:p></o:p></div>
2204. <div class="MsoNormal">
2205. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">While keeping an eye
2206. out for enemy forces, the orange dinosaur rolled boulders into the tunnel, so the
2207. treasure would be safe.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
2208. <div class="MsoNormal">
2209. (In this case, we put a comma with a conjunction.)<o:p></o:p></div>
2210. <div class="MsoNormal">
2211. <br /></div>
2212. <div class="MsoNormal">
2213. Getting rid of extraneous thats is easy and rewarding, once
2214. you know to look for them!<o:p></o:p></div>
2215. <div class="MsoNormal">
2216. <br /></div>
2217. <div class="MsoNormal">
2218. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, 'No
2219. Comments,' or '2 Comments,' or whatever. If you'd like to receive this blog
2220. automatically as an email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe
2221. there. Thanks for looking in. [Photo by ES, with special thanks to Cheetoh.]</div>
2222. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/1879846603621618841/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/that-can-be-drag.html#comment-form' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/1879846603621618841'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/1879846603621618841'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/that-can-be-drag.html' title='That Can be a Drag'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjGppDH3MUj7veMBmxbgvwSBHAHah-l1kdp0bCIY7Z-wErFbYQa7Ij8XLXbn2oKMS4Hwp6ICVCTLQeT2hiAtDM_I0-vqrMsrTTsHWHkIaY87NA-rkx8F480Fu1YU6ndzfN1kQTraRGvY/s72-c/Dinosaur+hero.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-4783237089539939906</id><published>2018-08-23T11:09:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-08-23T11:09:41.027-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="A Simple Plan"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="but if you could"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Jedi mind trick"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Underwood typewriter"/><title type='text'>A Simple Plan</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
2223. <div class="MsoNormal">
2224. Zestful Blog Post #278<o:p></o:p></div>
2225. <div class="MsoNormal">
2226. <br /></div>
2227. <div class="MsoNormal">
2228. Once in a while, an aspiring writer will feel at a total
2229. loss. “I can’t write anything.”<o:p></o:p></div>
2230. <div class="MsoNormal">
2231. <br /></div>
2232. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2233. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC5xKpz8wiie1mxY1PhhKHzBrs6oRDW1qaj4IxNwvYrUeQWLvczJyly2kCwoLlZNXnvEjCyBR_pbjJZuEQNdGVKTHn-F35Q2V_gFUm4CwZ9-f3OmETRPHJgd34GuhsErWzdR-b7n3Bng/s1600/Typewriter+keyboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1600" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC5xKpz8wiie1mxY1PhhKHzBrs6oRDW1qaj4IxNwvYrUeQWLvczJyly2kCwoLlZNXnvEjCyBR_pbjJZuEQNdGVKTHn-F35Q2V_gFUm4CwZ9-f3OmETRPHJgd34GuhsErWzdR-b7n3Bng/s400/Typewriter+keyboard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2234. <div class="MsoNormal">
2235. <br /></div>
2236. <div class="MsoNormal">
2237. <br /></div>
2238. <div class="MsoNormal">
2239. Sometimes the aspiring writer is me. Sometimes, maybe, it’s
2240. you. Here’s a Jedi mind trick that always jogs me out of my funk:<o:p></o:p></div>
2241. <div class="MsoNormal">
2242. <br /></div>
2243. <div class="MsoNormal">
2244. “Fine. You can’t write anything. That’s OK. But if you <i>could</i> write something, what would it
2245. be?”<o:p></o:p></div>
2246. <div class="MsoNormal">
2247. <br /></div>
2248. <div class="MsoNormal">
2249. Write about what you would write if you could. Just make
2250. notes on ideas; you don’t even need complete sentences.</div>
2251. <div class="MsoNormal">
2252. <o:p></o:p></div>
2253. <div class="MsoNormal">
2254. <br /></div>
2255. <div class="MsoNormal">
2256. I suggest keeping this in your back pocket, just in case.</div>
2257. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
2258. <br /></div>
2259. <div class="MsoNormal">
2260. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, 'No
2261. Comments,' or '2 Comments,' or whatever. Photo by ES</div>
2262. <div class="MsoNormal">
2263. <o:p></o:p></div>
2264. <div class="MsoNormal">
2265. If you'd like to receive this blog automatically as an
2266. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
2267. in.</div>
2268. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/4783237089539939906/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-simple-plan.html#comment-form' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4783237089539939906'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4783237089539939906'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-simple-plan.html' title='A Simple Plan'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdC5xKpz8wiie1mxY1PhhKHzBrs6oRDW1qaj4IxNwvYrUeQWLvczJyly2kCwoLlZNXnvEjCyBR_pbjJZuEQNdGVKTHn-F35Q2V_gFUm4CwZ9-f3OmETRPHJgd34GuhsErWzdR-b7n3Bng/s72-c/Typewriter+keyboard.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-7822349043680661383</id><published>2018-08-16T12:01:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-08-16T12:01:06.024-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="&quot;Just the Way You Are&quot;"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Billy Joel"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Detroit"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Saving it for Good"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="use your good stuff now!"/><title type='text'>Saving it for Good</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
2269. <div class="MsoNormal">
2270. Zestful Blog Post #277<o:p></o:p></div>
2271. <div class="MsoNormal">
2272. <br /></div>
2273. <div class="MsoNormal">
2274. Until I was about 11 years old, money was very tight at our
2275. house. When you got something new to wear, you wouldn’t dream of just putting
2276. it on any old time; you’d ‘save it for good.’ That is, you’d reserve it to wear
2277. when you had to go somewhere special. If the item fell under the new school clothes
2278. category you waited until school started, then only wore it to school, never
2279. out to play. I believe some children still go out to play these days. I can’t
2280. remember, however, the last time I drove down some residential street and saw,
2281. for instance, two young guys playing catch in the street with a baseball and
2282. their mitts. Digression, sorry.<o:p></o:p></div>
2283. <div class="MsoNormal">
2284. <br /></div>
2285. <div class="MsoNormal">
2286. The save-it-for-good habit has been hard to break. I still tend
2287. to do it even with new t-shirts, which is insane. Another digression, but I bet
2288. you can relate.<o:p></o:p></div>
2289. <div class="MsoNormal">
2290. <br /></div>
2291. <div class="MsoNormal">
2292. Moving along. When I was in my 20’s I hung out with a band
2293. that played basic pop and jazz/funk at festivals and weddings here and there in
2294. the Detroit area. We were just buddies in general, and it was fun to chill with
2295. them on rehearsal nights. Once they let me play the tenor saxophone solo in the
2296. Billy Joel version of “Just the Way You Are” with them at some local festival. For
2297. that occasion, I wore a skirt and a nice top. Man, am I digressing today. But via
2298. them I met a band promoter, a very young guy, who invited me to an after-hours
2299. club in Detroit for a special show. He had managed to get three record producers
2300. to agree to come see a lineup of half a dozen bands he repped. Each band would
2301. play a short set. As we sat with drinks while the first band was setting up and
2302. the producers were arriving, he explained to me his strategy: He would lead off
2303. with the weakest group, progressing until finishing with a bang with the very
2304. best one.<o:p></o:p></div>
2305. <div class="MsoNormal">
2306. <br /></div>
2307. <div class="MsoNormal">
2308. <o:p></o:p></div>
2309. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2310. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZa6k9hCeXq0uoqx5zW22dceajwBIwPkR57lSehyD_5wI9RpoAaTJ1fSvjpT8JdR7iWHrVis-Rc3t1T0a8EjXNRhQIjWtTGbGf5o1-P223B8v-yPUIlxVuqcS1vzja5TnUvbDDn8kGU0/s1600/Record+vinyl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZa6k9hCeXq0uoqx5zW22dceajwBIwPkR57lSehyD_5wI9RpoAaTJ1fSvjpT8JdR7iWHrVis-Rc3t1T0a8EjXNRhQIjWtTGbGf5o1-P223B8v-yPUIlxVuqcS1vzja5TnUvbDDn8kGU0/s400/Record+vinyl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
2311. <br />
2312.  
2313.  
2314. <div class="MsoNormal">
2315. <br /></div>
2316. <div class="MsoNormal">
2317. <br /></div>
2318. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
2319. [We
2320. listened to vinyl before it was retro, didn’ we?]<o:p></o:p></div>
2321. <div class="MsoNormal">
2322. <o:p> </o:p> </div>
2323. <div class="MsoNormal">
2324. “Their excitement’s just gonna keep building and building
2325. all night,” he told me confidently. He figured if he could sell even just the
2326. last and best group to one of the producers, the night would be a success.<o:p></o:p></div>
2327. <div class="MsoNormal">
2328. <br /></div>
2329. <div class="MsoNormal">
2330. Aaaaannnnd as I bet you’ve guessed, the plan backfired. By the
2331. time the third group took their bows, all the producers had left. I will draw a
2332. curtain over the desperate measures taken by my young, inexperienced friend to try
2333. to get the producers to stick around.<o:p></o:p></div>
2334. <div class="MsoNormal">
2335. <br /></div>
2336. <div class="MsoNormal">
2337. And you’ve already guessed the moral of my story today for
2338. writers: Though it’s tempting to save your best stuff for some future
2339. unleashing, it’s far better to lead off with a bang than hope to finish with
2340. one. I’m not saying we shouldn’t carefully husband our material. But sometimes
2341. saving becomes a reflexive habit. Spend it, enjoy the rush upfront, and feel
2342. secure that more good stuff will come!<o:p></o:p></div>
2343. <div class="MsoNormal">
2344. <br /></div>
2345. <div class="MsoNormal">
2346. What do you think? To post, click below where it says, 'No
2347. Comments,' or '2 Comments,' or whatever. If you'd like to receive this blog automatically as an
2348. email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe there. Thanks for looking
2349. in. [Photo by ES]</div>
2350. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/7822349043680661383/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/saving-it-for-good.html#comment-form' title='8 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/7822349043680661383'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/7822349043680661383'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/saving-it-for-good.html' title='Saving it for Good'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZa6k9hCeXq0uoqx5zW22dceajwBIwPkR57lSehyD_5wI9RpoAaTJ1fSvjpT8JdR7iWHrVis-Rc3t1T0a8EjXNRhQIjWtTGbGf5o1-P223B8v-yPUIlxVuqcS1vzja5TnUvbDDn8kGU0/s72-c/Record+vinyl.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>8</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1873889619654138974.post-4411443841836876100</id><published>2018-08-09T11:48:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2018-08-09T11:48:22.869-04:00</updated><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Fairly Famous Author"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="fans"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="friends"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="ghost-Kilroy"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="rent-a-box"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="stalkers"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="taking risks"/><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="They Will Find You"/><title type='text'>They Will Find You</title><content type='html'>&lt;br /&gt;
2351. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2352. <span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">Zestful Blog Post #276</span></div>
2353. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2354. <br /></div>
2355. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2356. Not long ago I was taking a walk
2357. in a nearby state park, on an overcast afternoon. The forest canopy was so
2358. thick it seemed like twilight. I heard an owl hooting and recognized it as a
2359. Great Horned, which I’ve been fortunate to spot several times wherever I’ve lived.
2360. It occurred to me to hoot back, wondering what would happen. Turns out I have a
2361. bit of a talent for owl mimicry, because the bird called again. We talked to
2362. each other back and forth a few times, then I heard these big, soft, whooshing
2363. wingbeats coming through the trees. The owl had likely decided, “She sounds
2364. sexy. I have to meet her!” Or perhaps, “I have to check out this goddam
2365. interloper.” The forest was so thick I never did get a glimpse of the owl, who I’m
2366. sure was then like, “Oh, hell, it’s just this human down there screwing with
2367. me.” But it had found me, because it had to.<o:p></o:p></div>
2368. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2369. <br /></div>
2370. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2371. And this experience brought to
2372. mind a conversation I’d had many years ago at a cocktail party with a multiple
2373. award-winning, trailblazing, fairly famous author. She had actually read some
2374. of my first work and admired it. During our talk, she mentioned that fans
2375. occasionally would show up at her house, being drawn by the power of her writing,
2376. being moved by it, feeling compelled to meet her. (It was common knowledge what
2377. city and neighborhood she lived in.) I said that must be unnerving. She said it
2378. was, because of course you never know whether the stranger is entirely stable.
2379. This was before social media and all that.<o:p></o:p></div>
2380. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2381. <br /></div>
2382. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2383. I said, “Well, I hope to get as
2384. famous as you, but I’m going to protect my privacy as best I can.”<o:p></o:p></div>
2385. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2386. <br /></div>
2387. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2388. She gave me a flat look and said, “They
2389. will find you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
2390. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2391. <br /></div>
2392. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2393. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYI11qAnjHy1l1L0eKFiFOn4IF2F0TZQpqjBSATTkSVJHB8tfEmGIoo_EIaksFGIhxl3ebBYWFRQBbm_hwZSAzth2CLcFTH2G7ZZXds8olXkuBV7li38z1NaWhjsTIdxpgHRf5sa-Lc4/s1600/Sketch+Kilroy+cropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYI11qAnjHy1l1L0eKFiFOn4IF2F0TZQpqjBSATTkSVJHB8tfEmGIoo_EIaksFGIhxl3ebBYWFRQBbm_hwZSAzth2CLcFTH2G7ZZXds8olXkuBV7li38z1NaWhjsTIdxpgHRf5sa-Lc4/s320/Sketch+Kilroy+cropped.png" title="Does this look like Kilroy" width="320" /></a></div>
2394. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2395. <span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
2396. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2397. <span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
2398. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.25in;">
2399. <span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">[A screwy, ghost-Kilroy, but you get the idea.]</span></div>
2400. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2401. <span style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
2402. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2403. <span style="text-indent: 0.25in;">In the many years since, I haven’t
2404. become quite as famous as she, and no strangers have shown up at my door, but
2405. indeed they have found me. Marcia and I don’t use our street address publicly
2406. (we use a rent-a-box in a nearby UPS store), but I’ve received unexpected propositions
2407. via snail mail, e-mail, and social media. One of my e-mail correspondents
2408. jokingly calls herself my “friendly stalker,” and our back-and-forths are just
2409. that, friendly. Another correspondent was pretty frank about things, and had I not
2410. already been attached, I might have been open to the possibility. There was a
2411. man of a mature age who, for a few years, turned up at my talks at conferences.
2412. He was shy and didn’t say much, but he did once tell me he came to all my
2413. events. He seemed simply to be a genuine fan who wanted to learn whatever I had
2414. to teach. Now I regret not trying to get to know him better.</span></div>
2415. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2416. <o:p></o:p></div>
2417. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2418. <br /></div>
2419. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2420. On a different level, there was
2421. the convict of some notoriety who sent me a letter via Writer’s Digest
2422. magazine. He said they got the magazine in the prison library and he liked my articles
2423. a lot. Furthermore, he had decided I would be the right person to collaborate
2424. with on writing his life story. I have to say no more here except that
2425. eventually I declined. If you’re interested and we’re somewhere in person, I’ll
2426. tell you more.<o:p></o:p></div>
2427. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2428. <br /></div>
2429. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2430. Certainly, like many people, I’ve
2431. had unwelcome romantic attention on Facebook, but it’s easy to block that. When
2432. I was doing consulting work with private clients, one expressed surprise that I’d
2433. give her my mobile phone number.<o:p></o:p></div>
2434. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2435. <br /></div>
2436. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2437. And now I come to my point: You
2438. can’t control everything, and one must take risks here and there, or just sit
2439. in a concrete bunker all day. I mean, I’m not some big public figure, but even I’ve
2440. had unusual experiences. I do feel that rent-a-box gives Marcia and me some peace of mind.
2441. So, if you’re aimed at fame, you might consider that. And then, hell, just relax
2442. and enjoy the ride!<o:p></o:p></div>
2443. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2444. <br /></div>
2445. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2446. What do you think? Have you had
2447. stalkeresque experiences? Have you been a friendly stalker? To post, click
2448. below where it says, ‘No Comments,’ or ‘2 Comments,’ or whatever.<o:p></o:p></div>
2449. <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
2450. If you’d like to receive this blog
2451. automatically as an email, look to the right, above my bio, and subscribe
2452. there. Thanks for looking in.</div>
2453. </content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/feeds/4411443841836876100/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/they-will-find-you.html#comment-form' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4411443841836876100'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1873889619654138974/posts/default/4411443841836876100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://esimsauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/they-will-find-you.html' title='They Will Find You'/><author><name>Elizabeth Sims</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01207536110886973913</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='22' height='32' src='https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xu4J2fvTuuc/UZJD9JVYSBI/AAAAAAAAABE/br7JGtgQnUY/s113/E_writing_web.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image/*'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYI11qAnjHy1l1L0eKFiFOn4IF2F0TZQpqjBSATTkSVJHB8tfEmGIoo_EIaksFGIhxl3ebBYWFRQBbm_hwZSAzth2CLcFTH2G7ZZXds8olXkuBV7li38z1NaWhjsTIdxpgHRf5sa-Lc4/s72-c/Sketch+Kilroy+cropped.png" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry></feed>

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