Breakneck speed

A friend said I had given new meaning to the term "breakneck speed".  He referred to my going to sleep, falling off the toilet, hitting my head on the floor, breaking my neck.

Fortunately, no spinal cord injury, but required odontoid process surgery to stabilize fractured C-1 and C-2.  I have to wear a neck brace 12 weeks (10 left), can't drive, can't ride MARTA Mobility because of the bumps and jerks.  Ten days post-op, I still have pain, and have been relegated to the main level bedroom (with hospital bed).  I am able to shower upstairs, but it's an ordeal because I can only take the brace off long enough to wash my neck.

Writing has suffered- RockParty (a novel).  I've only been able to muster the gumption to work on poems, song lyrics and short stories (and now a blog entry).  I am probably procrastinating on the novel because I know I have to write some additional segments, which, at this point, seems like work.

Don't defend

It is embarrassing, if not outright humiliating, to get caught defending your work against corrections offered in a critique group.  But, and this is a big but, everybody does it, including the ones who most vociferously object when it is done by some member other than themselves.   

So why don’t we cut each other some slack?  We acknowledge that our work is our baby, and defending it almost irresistible.  But we jump with both feet on the member who succumbs .

Someone forwarded this to me

On his death bed, Alexander summoned his generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:

1. The best doctors should carry his coffin;
2. The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious stones) should be scattered 
along the procession to the cemetery, and
3. His hands should be let loose, hanging outside the coffin for all to see.

One of his generals who was surprised by these unusual requests asked Alexander to explain.

Here is what Alexander the Great had to say:

1. I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that, in the face of death, 
even the best doctors in the world have no power to heal
2. I want the road to be covered with my treasure so that everybody sees that 
material wealth acquired on earth,  stays on earth
3. I want my hands to swing in the wind, so that people understand that 
we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed       

after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted, and that is TIME.

TIME is our most precious treasure.  It is LIMITED. 
We can produce more wealth, but we cannot produce more time. 

When we give someone our time, we actually give them a portion of our life 
that we will never take back.  Our time is our life.

May God grant you plenty of TIME and may you have the wisdom 
to give it to others in ways that allow you to LIVE & LOVE in peace.

Followup: Six levels

I guess blog entries are like e-mails.  You should wait 24 hours before posting.  Then, maybe, you will see what you should not write before it is too late.

A Character's Voice

In critique groups, I often ask a member whether he wants the reader to read the character's voice in the same way the author reads it aloud.  A writer, reading his own work, reads narrative and dialogue in the voice he hears as when writes and edits.  How do you convey that sound, that unique way of speaking that is part of the character you are creating and developing?

Four ways:

1.   Sentence structure: requires that the author be skilled and have a degree of mastery of the craft of writing- vocabulary, grammar and imagination.  Also, a sense of patience and dedication to do it right, to be thorough and diligent in producing the words and syntax that will make the character's voice reflected in the mind of the reader.

2.   Word emphasis: almost any word in a sentence can be emphasized, vocally, and emphasizing different words give the sentence different connotations.

Italicize the correct word for the reader to emphasize.

3.   Dialect: it takes effort and consistency to illustrate in writing what a word sounds like the way the character pronounces it.  It is essential, however, if you want the character to be authentic.

4.   Cadence: use punctuation—commas , m-dashes and ellipses—to  match the written dialogue to the stops and starts, hesitations and pauses in the character's speech.

These instructions are probably listed in many books and articles.  I made them up this morning, however, over a cup of tea.

Six Levels of Critique Groups

I have experienced six levels of critique groups

1.     My one official AWC group, with at least seven published authors; fiction; six page limit; open until we recently had 13 members show up.  Critiques are sharp, thorough and sometimes astute.  I am amazed when I review the notes members have made on my copies, how many "good catches" are written that were not spoken in the group.*  Good atmosphere of private room in a public building.

2.     A semi-official AWC group sponsored by a local community college learning center; open genre; three-page limit (frequently bent); open to public (AWC membership not required).  Two faculty members serve as authorities in disputes.  They are almost always correct.  Private room in learning center provides a good atmosphere.  Most critiques are slicingly accurate, on the money, but some are rote repeats of the type of comments you hear frequently and seem appropriate: tighten up, repeated words, speech characteristics (I don't think he would talk like that, or use that kind of word).

The multiple genre are distracting: poetry, narratives written for children, illustrated books, highly specialized non-fiction.

3.     An offshoot of the Learning Center (community college) group; meets in a retail business; same characteristics as above (same people, too) except no page limit.

4.     A private group meets weekly in a Starbucks location; noise of equipment is distracting.

5.     AWC Online group- new for me, I am formulating opinions.  This group deserves a post unto itself, which is forthcoming.

6.     My first group experience was with a fiction group that met monthly in a member's home.  Only two members read- from material distributed in advance.  This was a longstanding, small group of tightly connected members.  By mutual consent, we decided that I should join a group that offered more opportunities to give and get criticism, a decision that's has proved to be insightful and correct.

One group member friend recommended that I limit myself to no more than three groups, to which I complied.  More groups help move through a long novel quicker, but also makes it harder for the group members to comprehend the big picture of your book.

My only regret about my experience with critiquing and groups, is that there is no group close to where I live.  I have thought of trying to start one, but don't feel I have the expertise to be the leader/facilitator.

*True of all groups.

Excerptination (really, this time)

Given in my previous post, the definition of this made-up word is- "the stress on both the author and the critiquer caused by the limitation of the critiquer's not having readily accessible knowledge of the plot, setting and character development meticulously woven by the author throughout the entire work."

Every person who has been a member of a writing critique group has experienced the type of stress described in this definition.  However, we also know that not every group member receiving a critique who reverts to the excuse that "that's covered elsewhere in the book", has meticulously woven subtle, or overt, development of plot, setting and character throughout the book.  But for those who have, it is frustrating when a group member questions the way a character talks, or says he doesn't understand an event which the author has crafted to happen at exactly that time because he has skillfully prepared the reader to understand and react the way he wants him to.

An editor will tell you that a chapter should stand on its own, so that the agent or publisher will not be left with a feeling of disjointedness.  But a well thought out, developed strategy to set up a scene or character cannot be re-explained in the scene, nor would it be desirable to do so.

So, is the "elsewhere in the book" a lame excuse, or is it a legitimate answer, which holds no hope of satisfying the critiquer?  The answer is both.  Embrace the paradox.  Persevere.   Respect each other.  Move forward.

Okay. I cheated.

I have lured the members of my AWC Online critique group to my blog with a reference to my June 9 post:

A Writer's Rollercoaster
Thoughts on joining AWC Fiction 1 Online Critique Group:

To be continued . . .

However, that subject, in itself, is a blog topic of the series on critique groups and has its own place in the priorities of subjects (entries, posts).  I can't say when, but I think it will be near the beginning.

Intro to Excerptination

Having committed to blog about writing, and apparently having some interested followers, I now face the task of seriously organizing my ideas and establishing a priority for addressing them.

Central to my motivation to share this info are multitudinous feelings and observations about critique groups.  Therefore critiquing moves to the forefront of the priorities.  That's progress, but, so far twenty-five topics are on the list to discuss about critiquing.  So, the prioritization starts all over again.

Complicating things (adding pressure to my endeavor) is a note that my (professional) editor is interested in following and analyzing what I have to say about critique groups, since she says she heard such mixed messages from other authors.  Great.  I'll just have to think of it as free services.

Prepare yourself, Laura, for more mixed messages.

The topic Excerptination (cute word, huh?) will be the first I tackle .  The definition of this made-up word is- "the stress on both the author and the critiquer caused by the limitation of the critiquer's not having readily accessible knowledge of the plot, setting and character development meticulously woven by the author throughout the entire work."  The next blog entry will begin to address this phenomenon.

Ups and Downs of Writing

I told Dawn the other day that writing is like a roller coaster.  I referred primarily to my novel, which I have edited and revised through critique groups for over a year.   I have to share my perception of this phenomenon, but, in the blog, will have to post in segments. Otherwise it would be too long for blog followers to read.

The rollercoaster ups and downs have to do with how I feel about the endeavor and processes.  Frequently, I am convinced the quality that would satisfy me is unattainable.  The complexity of my novel's subject keeps the completion dangling out of reach, ahead of me, advancing forward as fast as, or faster, than my progress.

Then on other days, a chapter or segment's development suffuses me with confidence that not only is completion possible, but, if accomplished, will yield a superior product.

I don't have to tell you which is the up, or down.  The alternation lends confidence that what goes up will come down, and vice versa.

Tommorow: effects of critique groups.

A Writer's Rollercoaster

Thoughts on joining AWC Fiction 1 Online Critique Group:

To be continued . . .

A short poem

The pen is no longer 

mightier than the sword,  

there are too many pens.

Disciplined people 

always keep their word.

Procrastinators 

only procrastinate

 when they can.

Perturbation

     Why did the members of my writing group yesterday make me   angry?  Why am I stewing about it 24 hours later?  Conclusion: because they were monkeying with my characters.

     In the early writing and revising RockParty, a novel, the book was plot driven, not driven by the characters, whom, from a craft standpoint, were undeveloped.  During two years of intensive, intimate dialogue, that is, dialogue between me and the characters, each became a real person, and each insisted on being himself, not conforming to the perceptions of critiquers, especially those with strong opinions about what my character would say and how he would say it—opinions they formed by listening to and reading one small portion of one chapter of the work.

     The opinion-laden critiquers do not consider that, in addition to usurping the author's diligent efforts to craft character, theirs may be only one of different opinions of every member of the group.

     My writing skills have improved enough to say my novel is equally character and plot driven.  The presumptuousness of critiquers that they can, on a spur, define a character for me, or against the will of the character who exists and is alive, bothers me.  It bothers me when group members complain because they cannot deduce from a page, or a paragraph or a sentence, what I have so extensively developed pouring over manuscripts for great lengths of time, agonizing over decisions to integrate valid suggestions offered humbly by critique groups.  It bothers me and makes me want to withdraw. 

     Eventually, I calm down and remember how essential the critique  process is to  producing the best book I can possibly write.  Less apparent, but also realized, is that perturbation with the group is a driving force that keeps me going, keeps me revising and revising revisions, stokes my passion for producing quality that is uniquely mine—blended with quality that is universally accepted—a quality that satisfies me with the probability that it will satisfy the reader.

     These thoughts keep me from dropping out and help me tolerate frustration with feedback, even on a bad day.

Resuming Praying

I have often said that praying is useful, but more than useful, I meant beneficial, rewarding.  You pray—your life gets better.  You don't pray—your life gets worse.  If a person experiences this cause-effect relationship, he will become afraid not to pray. 

The question I raise today is, "if a person forgets or neglects to pray, and consequently notices that everything seems to be inexplicably going wrong, can the useful benefits of praying be restored immediately upon resumption of the activity?"

My answer, based on experience, is "yes".   Even a simple daily prayer, by rote, has the power to restore God's protective presence to our conscious lives as soon as it is spoken.  Having experienced this power today, I listed the components of my daily prayer, which begin:

God,

1.       Grant me the serenity to . . .

2.       Grant me the knowledge of . . .

3.       Grant me the willingness and ability to . . .

4.       Keep me humble.

5.       Your will,not mine.

6.       Forgive my sins.

7.       Possess my mind and body and . . .

8.       Be my glory.

9.       Your will not mine.

10.     Keep me humble

           . . . and things got better.

Correct URLs

Pardon the flopping around.  The correct (current) URLs for my two websites are:

Bill Hines             billhines.org

RockParty            billhines.org/RockParty/Welcome.html (case sensitive)

A Character's Voice

In critique groups, I often ask a member whether he wants the reader to hear (through reading) the characters voice in the way it was read.  The reader reads the dialogue in the voice he hears as he writes and edits it.  How do you convey that sound, that unique way of speaking that is part of the character you are creating and developing?

Four ways:

1.     Sentence structure: requires that the author be skilled and have a degree of mastery of the craft of writing- vocabulary, grammar and imagination.  Also, a sense of patience and dedication to do it right, to be thorough and diligent in producing the words and syntax that will make the character's voice reflected in the mind of the reader.

2.     Word emphasis: almost any word in a sentence can be emphasized, vocally, and emphasizing different words give the sentence different connotations.

Italicize the correct word for the reader to emphasize.

3.     Dialect: it takes effort and consistency to illustrate in writing what a word sounds like the way the character pronounces it.  It is essential, however, if you want the character to be authentic.

4.     Cadence: use punctuation- commas, m-dash and ellipsis to match the writing to the stops and starts, hesitations and pauses in the character's speech.

These instructions are probably listed in many books and articles.  I made them up, however, this morning over a cup of tea.

Platform Development

Got my two websites online for the first time since Mobile Me succumbed in June, 2012.  I switched to iPage as host, and have been pleased with their customer service so far.

The websites will undergo an overhaul and be structured as an author's website- billhines.org, and a website for a novel- rockparty.us.  But in the meantime, you can access them at:

BillHines.org            RockParty

Be sure to check out the songs I wrote with Ty Roberts on the BillHines page.

To Writers Circle Webscribe on Self-Publication

Dear Webscribe,

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/business/media/david-mamet-and-other-big-authors-choose-to-self-publish.html?pagewanted=all

Thanks for forwarding this article.  

I understand your dilemma in "rappin' round' " self-publishing.  You're not alone.  It is interesting to watch the evolution of this phenomenon's status in the publishing world.

Originally called "vanity publishing" a nomenclature that was, and may still be, accurate (in some cases), it has carved out a legitimate and recognized tier for itself for unpublished authors, and established authors as well.  To me, the concept has vastly exceeded its "vanity" phase and become simply a menu item in the vast array of commercial publishing services.  

The advantages enumerated in the NY Times article are pertinent for all the authors I know, and know of.  The higher royalties, the increased control, the extension of time applied to marketing, are all appealing features.  And elimination of the stress and anxiety of trying to sell yourself and your work to an agent or publisher, and the time you save by taking over the job for yourself (you  never get a rejection), seem true values to me.

The article helped me reach these conclusion.  Thanks for thinking about us and passing it on.

Bill Hines

Writing status

Saturday AM.  I was signed up for a "Pitch" at the Atlanta Writers Conference in May, but when I discovered that the fifty dollar pitch did not include the previous day's "Query Letter Critique", and that all the Friday sessions were full with a waiting list, I withdrew from the "Pitch" portion.  The refund will be less a $25 fee, but a pitch for the novel, RockParty, would be premature at this time.

I have editing corrections from seven critique group meetings backed up and waiting- totally unacceptable.  I am attending a free, AWC workshop on writing fiction today.  It is actually open to the public- at the Dunwoody Library.

Platform update: April 13, 2013

The discount web hosting site I have used several years does not have the support I need.  Since Mobile Me went defunct 6-30-2021, my website, chryscross.com, has not been online.  After researching, I decided on a new service called "IPage".  I have struggled all week getting the two domains transferred (finally successful) and set up.  chryscross.com is up and working fine, but, although it is transferred and published, the web can't find the file "rockparty.us".

I told my rep at IPage that I didn't want to think about any (marketing) enhancements until I get these two sites up and running as is.  I have a ticket (request) in to their customer service about RockParty.

I plan that one site will be the web page of a novelist, and the other the website of a novel.  RockParty.us will be the novel.  I will probably change the site name of the other to billhines.org, which is available.

Platform

I have avoided little daily diatribes in this blog, intending to avoid the appearance of vanity.  But more and more I am learning that blogging is an essential component of a modern day platform, which, as a writer, I need to develop and refine.  So look for more personal sharing from me in the future.

A note to the fundamentalist/literalist

     You divide the world into two categories of people: those who would tear pages out of the Bible that they don't agree with, and those who oppose tearing any pages out of the Bible.  Truth is, both sides "cherry pick" the passages to support their own beliefs, while ignoring those which dispute, or do not support, their beliefs (which is the same as literally tearing the page out of the Bible, although not as dramatic).
   
     The apologetics (arguments) of both of these groups are possessed by a devil called "the ego", which changes their motivation from "seeking truth" to "being right".
     

Uni Verses by Bill Hines

Some think Heaven is somewhere else,

Most believe that it’s up above,

Someone once said it’s all around us,

And a ticket there is bought with love.

I know a man from another world,

As a matter of fact, he’s right over there,

Another is in the space where I am,

But to see them is much more than rare.

How can there be a parallel universe?

Would it be great or worse than worst,

If proliferation of my verses,

Identified parallel universes?

Such an awful thought to grasp,

Who cares to ponder things like these,

To some, an inescapable task,

But how could anyone find the keys?

If you look at space, it cannot be curved,

But if you look at space, there is nothing to see.

So how can we tell, how can we measure?

We think that we know, but how can that be.

My Daily Prayer

My Daily Prayer

             There is a prayer with which we are all familiar.  Although it is called a prayer, in its written for, it looks like a poem.  No one knows who wrote it or when it was written, even though most people attribute its authorship to a 20^th Century protestant theologian.  I say we are all familiar with this prayer; actually, it is just the first verse that everybody knows and associates with its title.

            This ubiquitous prayer is found in more varieties of art forms and in more gift shops and bookstores than any other, even the Lord's Prayer.  If you haven't guessed by now, it is The Serenity Prayer, its authorship often attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr (a much disputed contention). 

            Another fallacy thought about the Serenity Prayer is that it is a creation of and owned by Alcoholics Anonymous.  That's because the Serenity Prayer is recited at the beginning or end of every twelve step meeting in the world, and there are over 300 anonymous societies that use the twelve step approach to deal with addictions ranging from substance abust to overeating, compulsive shopping to gambling and about 300 other things.  But, no, Twelve Step programs do not own the Serenity Prayer.

            I would venture to say that there is not one person here—youth or adult—who has not heard or read the first verse of this prayer.  I would also bet there are relatively few who have ever heard the full version, which I am going to read for you now.

God, grant me the Serenity

to accept the things I cannot change

Courage to change the things I can,

and the Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life, and

supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Amen

            You might be asking why I am telling you all this.  The reason is that I want to talk about my (personal) daily prayer to God, which—coincidentally—begins with the first verse of the Serenity Prayer.

            Next comes a short phrase about God's will.  Do you want to do God's will?  The correct answer here is  "yes".  Well, how are you going to do God's will if you don't know what God's will is?  And even if you know God's will, how are you going to do it if you are not able?  So, after the Serenity Prayer, the second part of my daily prayer is:

     "Grant me the knowledge of Your will for me and the power to carry that out."

            Next, I address my stewardship of the time God gives me—the only time I have:

   "Grant me the willingness and ability to remain in this one and only day you have given      

        me and use it to the fullest."

            Then I pray for the two most important personal characteristics for me as a Christian:

     "Your will, not mine."

     "Keep me humble."

I truly believe that my God forgives my sins even before I ask Him.  This truth, this gift came by Jesus sacrificing His life on a cross so that my sins would be forgiven.  And even though I ask, every day:

     "Forgive my sins."

—and it is important to ask—I know that because of Jesus' death, I am forgiven. 

            I like and endorse the prayer of St. Francis, and I believe that it is my daily duty to seek to exhibit the love of Christ, subduing my own ego.  So I ask God to:

                 "Possess my mind and body and make me an instrument of your peace."

            My prayer is then ended with a summary of its most crucial components:

                 "Forgive my sins."

                 "Your will, not mine"

                 "Keep me humble."

            That's it.  God is satisfied when I pray it;  He is not happy when I don't, which leads to the last essential component of my daily prayer, found in its title:

                      "daily"

           Seeking Christian perfection is a lifetime, daily activity.  My seeking is kick started every day by this personal prayer.

Eight Poems

I am trying to choose five to submit to Dash for publication, and three to Dash for a contest.

Single Digit

Single digits one through nine,

woven through this life of mine,

Arabic numbers from the ages,

follow me through various stages.

A digitized world was not forseen,

the ones and zeros and numbers between,

unending Eternity,  with a twist,

points and moments that do not exist.

Time is stolen by a bandit

as we’re funneled to an exit.

Years behind become the culprit

when  years ahead are a single digit.

On the horizon looms a summit.

When less than ten is the limit,

we begin to see the exit                                                                                                                                   
and prepare for spirit transit                                                                                            

   

   Eyeless

Arriving Blind,

Hearing only my own thoughts,

Feeling nothing,

Sightless eyes,

Blindfolded,

Eyeless.

Departing to freedom,

Hearing the sweet sound of Surrender,

Feeling feelings,

Seeing,

And accepting reality,

I-less.

   Brevity

       by Bill Hines

 My project today,

the boss assigned,

  is maliciously,

 toward insanity 

    designed.

To recount the whole course

  of man's progress,               

  the best of computers

    cannot

       process.                           

 For mapping the course

     of man’s evolution,

the most powerful computer

          has no

         solution.

Infinite data-

we cannot conceive,

  yet to simplify,

    for clarity,

 is to deceive.

            Dispel

With God as my witness,

I cast aside the old body,

Dispel                 the illusion of humanity,

                         holomovement.

                     the

                  transcend

               And

            Dispel          imaginary Light and Darkness,

         Distance, spelling, sight and speed,

       Sound or thought, truth or free,                                                                                                    Just to be,      absolute,      reality.                                                   
 

                                                                 
    

         Page

Oh, beautiful page,

Oh, beautiful blank page before me,

What a gift from God you are!

Because in you lies all creativity and creation.

That you would allow this humble servant to ascend to that vision,

Is a rare gift indeed.

For the luring colors of the beckoning palatial throne,

In descending incandescence,

Make me not alone,

Unveil the value of the gift of sight,

And lift our souls and spirits,                                                                                                      Above the vast ignorance of night.                                                                                                               

        This One

        There is unity. 

          There is null.                                                                                                                                                                                       

 That’s All there is.

       Every point is either unity or null,

         which is the only differentiation                                                                                                                                               between two adjacent points in space,

          since the area of a point is zero.

                                                 Therefore,

                          the only thing that exists,

                                           does not exist,

                                   except as potential.

                       All points

       considered together

            make a universe.

    The number of points

                       is infinite.

    To understand the universe

                and everything in it,

  you only have to understand

                         this one thing:

Infinity.

     SLING

Flashing mane,

Slicing pain,

Grates across my liver.

Thrashing mane,

Teasing game,

Sucks inverse gasps

Out of my river.

          Kaleidoscope

I watch the colored rays of light

Appearing now brighter than bright,

Rainbows exude from illusory rays,

Created by eyes in so many ways.

Prism colors and Brownian white light,

Dance in my brain in rain at night,

Circles and rays vibrate like jello,

Entertaining my vision as God says hello.