The Coming Year

The coming of the new year, more than any other holiday, brings both joy and sadness. There is an inherent melancholy; what didn't you do that you hoped to do, what actions or thoughts would you wish away, what have you lost over the last twelve months. No matter how you slice it, another year is gone forever.

But the coming of a new year also brings joy, anticipation, and excitement. What wonders will we experience this year? What will we do? Who will we meet? The road is stretched out before us. And no matter how carefully we plan, surprises are awaiting around every corner. And I think those unexpected occurrences are the underpinnings of some of our most treasured and ancient traditions at this time of year.

And wonderful story fodder.

In times past, more people sent New Year's greetings than at Yuletide. Why? Christmas is a fairly recent tradition in the grand scheme of things, and holiday greeting cards even younger. People of yesteryear were also perhaps more polite; one never knew what beliefs another had and a New Year's wish was considered "safer" than a holiday card. Nice, huh? But then they also sent blatantly Christian spring cards...we humans are a massive stew of inconsistencies. Part of what makes writing so interesting.

I have to start with the most traditional of New Year's symbols: the baby for the coming year and the old man for the passing year. They are a reminder that we too are getting older. The clock in the second card is another reminder, just in case you didn't get it.

New Year's Eve is a magical time...when the clock climes midnight one stands at the moment between what was and what will be. These next two represent that for me: a moon child and star kids.

And then there's the silly. This cat had one too many, I'm thinking.

This one cracks me up. Not sure what's going on...it looks like the dogs are throwing their kibble at the train.

Happy New Year's flight on a dirigible??? One that blows bubbles? Weird.

A popular New Year's pastime was having your fortune read.

There were all sorts of things you could do to ward off evil and bring good fortune for the next year. Below are some examples of luck inducing objects and actions: seeing spring birds, hanging a horse shoe over your threshold, bringing grapes to a neighbor, seeing winter fairies, and ringing bells to scare away evil spirits. There's lots more customs...these are only a few.

Once you've had your fortune told and done all the luck inducing actives, there is also the tradition of making New Year's wishes for oneself or others. I like wishes much better than resolutions.

Here are adults and children wishing for many nice things: toys, vacations, a sweetheart (one wistful one hopeful), not to die during the coming year (that one is creepy...check out the scythe), and of course the overwhelming favorite, gold.

There are also wishes for good behavior, a precursor to our modern resolutions, perhaps. Below we see a hope for an unblemished year, a wish for plenty but only if the receiver is sincere, and a warning not to let go of the past. That one is scary. I'll remember the past. I will. Just don't pipe me away with the rats...

The next two I chose because they are just so pretty. The first is an elegant deco woman...or is she? Maybe she's really a goddess out for a little New Year's fun. And the last one is a wonderful New Year's party outdoors... humans and fairy folk are gathering to revel in the cold night air.

You don't see the fairies? Look closer. There. I knew you could. :-)

Review and a Kindle

Just finished Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg. The term “short novel” is an interesting one; longer stories hovering between the short story and the novel. At least he didn’t call them “novelettes”, which sounds to me like an unholy amalgamation of a biscuit and young socialite.

Anyway. All of the chosen authors are consummate world builders. Each have created and written often within in their lush fantasy environments: Anne Mccattery’s Pern, Ursula Leguin’s Earthsea, and Orson Scott Card’s alternate pioneer America are three of many in this giant volume. I especially loved The Hedge Knight by George Martin, and I will read any story with Granny Weatherwax (Terry Pratchett), one of the BEST literary witches, in my opinion.

Robert Silverberg did a fabulous job filling the reader in on the vast amount of information either proceeding, accompanying, or trailing the selected story, although every tale could stand on its own. I very much enjoyed dropping myself back into trilogies that I loved, such as Earthsea.

The one downside was this book is huge; much too big to cart around with me and the volume would also take a great deal of room on my bookshelf. That got me thinking. Like an armed bandit of old, I like having a book on me. At all times. You never know when you will have to wait in a line. Or fritter away time in a doctor’s office. I also live in a small space. And while my hard backed copies of The Lord of The Rings will never leave my office, the vast amounts of paperbacks were slowly crowding me out of house and home.

I don’t like to get rid of books. What if I might like to read it again? What if late one night I need a book and I have none? A fate worse than death. And then my husband got a Kindle. Next my sister. They loved the thing. I was not convinced. Even though I have sold books to electronic publishers. Why, I don’t know. Maybe I like the feel of the pages. Or the cover art. But as I kept thinking about it, I realized a Kindle had everything I needed; small, portable, and most importantly, containing an electronic archive of books I had purchased. So I bought one. In the long run it will save me money. Many older books you can download for free, and even new books are much cheaper.

The only downside is tub reading, but then, I normally devour fashion magazines under a comforting blanket of bubbles. I know, you can get those on a Kindle too. But I want those big glossy pictures to gaze at. Maybe someday I can beam Vogue on the back wall of my bathroom. Ahhhhhh…

Breaking The Mold

For those of you who read the dance blog my husband and I write together, you will know we’ve faced the consequences of being a shade different. Maybe not a shade. More like the opposite side of the color wheel. The conflict has caused me to think about my motivations, desires, and goals, which is never a bad thing, dancing or no.

I’ve always been different. Partly this is environmental; I was born (thankfully) into a family that appreciates, inspires, and celebrates the off beat, the odd, the unique, and most importantly, being unashamedly yourself. I fortunately married a man who is very much his own man, and loves that I am my own woman. My tastes, therefore, are not bound by anyone or any institution as to what I “should” like, do, or be.

I also believe I thrive on going against the grain. I enjoy being perceived as different. Creative. Experimental. Weird is a compliment to me, as my friends well know.

There are consequences to this outlook. You can’t expect those in charge of the old guard , if you will, to always appreciate wild flights of fancy. In fact, they may fight you. Change, for most people, is something to avoid, even if the end results may be better. If you are different, your life will never be dull, but neither will it always be smooth.

How does this influence my writing? Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, my writing often does not fall into an easily applied slot. This is especially hard for new writers. Publishers are reluctant enough to back an unknown writer, let alone an unknown writer who is…different.

I write in a wide varieties of styles and subject matters. I mix genres. I have sold to multiple corporations. This has confused some fans. And publishers. For example, my latest novel is a young adult fantasy with adult themes…child abuse, death, and the afterlife.

I probably would have more money in the bank if I stuck to tried and true genre rules and fences. But that wouldn’t be true to me, and ultimately wouldn’t ring true to those who read my books. Do I believe I will eventually have great success? Yes. I believe in me. I believe in my work. Do I get frustrated sometimes? You bet. But I’m not giving up. It may take me longer, but that is the consequences of being sideways in a sometimes straight ahead world.

And oh, the magic I can see when I’m facing the wrong way.

PS. Whenever a rejection letter gets me down I think of one of my favorite authors, Ursula LeGuin. To say that she broke the mold is a huge understatement; it could be argued she was one of the first to successfully blend science fiction and fantasy. Below is a rejection letter her agent received for The Left Hand of Darkness, one of the best sci-fi works with fantasy overtones ever written in my opinion, and is considered by many a timeless classic. She posted the letter (without the name of the editor…she was kind) in hopes that it would console new writers. The letter has indeed helped me out of many a funk. Maybe it will have the same effect on you.

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Dear Miss Kidd,
Ursula K. Le Guin writes extremely well, but I'm sorry to have to say that on the basis of that one highly distinguishing quality alone I cannot make you an offer for the novel. The book is so endlessly complicated by details of reference and information, the interim legends become so much of a nuisance despite their relevance, that the very action of the story seems to be to become hopelessly bogged down and the book, eventually, unreadable. The whole is so dry and airless, so lacking in pace, that whatever drama and excitement the novel might have had is entirely dissipated by what does seem, a great deal of the time, to be extraneous material. My thanks nonetheless for having thought of us. The manuscript of The Left Hand of Darkness is returned herewith. Yours sincerely,
The Editor
21 June, 1968

Yule Postcards

As a writer, all holidays inspire me. I've written a number of tinsel-y stories...some perhaps less tinsel and more spider webbish, but sadness too is part of the season. Yule contains both the light and the dark. For example, presents are given to express love. But did you know that gifts were bestowed long ago to reaffirm bonds in case loved ones did not make it through the harsh winter? Something to think about.

Here are some vintage holiday postcards that represent the joy and the mystery of this glorious season. I hope they inspire you.

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I picked these two because they are such iconic symbols of the season. And whatever your beliefs, many of the holiday trappings we enjoy are very very old. Evergreens and holly are two such decorations.

Here's a couple of quirky ones. Apparently seeds are a lot smarter than I thought. I'm thinking these pine cone people could tell a fine tale. I especially like the one with the doll. Or is she a doll???

Fairies and elves are very much a part of Yule. I love the poinsettia fairy woman. But these elves. Just what are they doing? Carting around cookies with tiny children on the top? Honey...the elves shrunk the kids...

Here's another one with cookies. This young man does not look happy. Who knew cookies could be so mischievous?

I included these next two because I think they represent the longing many of us have for warm weather during this time of year. Where is this boat going piled high with blooms? And what is the young girl contemplating? I have to say that although the holidays would not be the same if it wasn't chilly, a part of me dreams for fresh flowers and my toes in the sand.

And now the strange, weird, and somewhat disturbing. You knew I'd get to these. Here's a frightening clown. I never have liked clowns all that much. Just what's hiding behind that makeup? I really don't like this one. What's with the greeting? I don't want to get either a slap or a bang from him or his freaky little dogs.

Here's a happy cheery card. Don't worry, it says. Uh huh, sure.






OK, so why is the little girl in Santa's backpack??? Was she bad? Is she being taken away somewhere? The pink highlights are rather creepy too.

This one just floors me. A mummy Christmas baby? Actually, I think it's supposed to be the Christ child..."born natale" literally means happy birthday in Italian...they say it during the holidays. I still think it looks like a mummy. Or perhaps a bloody mermaid. Sorry. I do write horror stories.

Little Red Riding Hood meets Christmas. Or maybe three little pigs. (Have you ever noticed when the word "little" is in a fairy story title some unpleasantness will occur?) I believe this postcard is handmade. Even weirder.

This one is strange and funny. Let's lord it over others with our holiday greetings, shall we? But what a great story this would be!

Here's another funny one. I like this woman. She's obviously all set for any and all holiday occasions. Bill for the office party, Sam for the Christmas dance, and I think Percy will do just fine for that Hanukkah brunch. And then there's Antonio. Um. He's for in front of the fireplace...

Of course, the Yuletide holidays are filled with magic. Cards today don't seem to include enchantment as much as they used to. Check out this spell-like greeting.

Moon magic is especially nice during Yule, don't you think?

Elves again. But this time they are bringing luck.

I love this one. The enchantment isn't overt, but magic is definitely in the air. I wish I could get my hair to curl like this woman's.

And last but not least, a bit of romance...the best holiday magic of all.

Published!

I will say that this is not a new story; I sold it last year to Darwin's Evolutions, and the magazine has just now come out with the Halloween issue. My story, Tea and Fairy Cakes, won second prize. The stunning artwork is by Jesus Lopez. Here is the link to purchase if you are interested.

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/evolutions-vol-2-iss-1/7904466

Kinda nice to see it even after all this time. I've been focusing on novels lately. Seeing my story in print has inspired me to write more shorter works again.

Review

Finished The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror (8th collection) edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. Wow. Maybe because these two have done it eight times they know how to put a collection together. Whatever the reason, every collection I’ve read of theirs has been creepily good.

This collection is dark. But very different from the last anthology I reviewed. If you recall, I became weary of bad things happening to those who don’t deserve it. Interestingly enough, that also happens in this anthology. I’ve been thinking a lot about why this book was different. Unaware or clueless people did get into trouble. Bad trouble. They didn’t particularly deserve unpleasantness: they wanted it.

That’s not quite right. Let me try again. The best horror, in my opinion, is not about vampires, werewolves, or alien creatures…it’s about the monster that lurks within all of us. These stories explore the ying and the yang of violence; that there always must be a victim for every perpetrator. As a character in the best (or worst) story in this collection, The White Temple by Douglas Clegg, said to his victim and partner, “we complete each other.”

There is something terrifying in that statement. The reader is forced to contemplate all sorts of disturbing thoughts, such as are we destined to play out a victim or abuser? Can we fight our destinies? Should we? And if our lives are not set in stone at birth, how does it feel knowing we have chosen to suffer or inflict pain?

Or is it that we have both within us…the capacity to hurt, and also the capacity to endure great suffering? Is this what makes us human…knowing we have both characteristics but striving nonetheless to discover the middle way?

For writers all of these contemplations can be especially troubling, as I believe all stories must have conflict. Authors must think about these things. We sometimes wallow in it. And that means we face the dark side of our souls, and the possibility that we could be monsters or participating victims in the right circumstance.

The author of The White Temple so gets that. It is completely unafraid; all traces of civilization are peeled away, exposing the raw, red underbelly of the human psyche. I thought it was the best example in the anthology. If you read it, though, know I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day. It continues to haunt me. It is that disturbing. And that well written.

In the end, The White Temple and many others in this collection invited, sometimes forced, me to consider: which side of the coin am I? If faced with the situations in this book, what would I do to others or allow done to me???

Whew. I need a nice fluffy romance now. Or maybe I'll start getting out my Yule decorations. My husband says it's too early. But I need some tinsel, elves, and bright lights. And a big mug of hot chocolate. With peppermint schnapps.

Yeah.

Point Count-Point

People have asked me what makes a good writer. I’m not sure I know how to answer that, although I do believe there may be some common characteristics. For example, I think most writers are solitary, or at the very least, are OK with spending vast amounts of time alone. Writers are also able to observe the commonalities of human existence, yet understand how to filter that through their own viewpoints and experience.

What inspired this post, however, was something else entirely. Writers have chosen the written word as their way of expressing the artist in themselves. Like the visual arts, a novel or story is created and then polished, prodded, and edited until (hopefully), it is the best it can be. The product exists for viewing any time, any place, as perfect as the day it was completed.

Not so with the performing arts. In a sense, you are only as good as your last soliloquy, debate, or pirouette; every time you put yourself out there the possibility of failure or excellence is equally represented. Writing is not scary…disappointing and frustrating yes, but never frightening, at least for me. Conversely, no matter how hard you practice or how bad you want to be fantastic, a performance may flop.

And that’s scary.

But isn’t writing a risk, you may ask? Absolutely. Every story exposures a piece of the author’s soul and the rejection of something so personal can be hard. But at least you have done your best when you send a story or novel to a publisher; you don’t have to compose on the spot.

And so perhaps we writers need a counter-point to spending hours and hours constructing that hoped for perfection. If you’ve read my dancing blog I write with my husband you will already know another passion is dancing. Dancing is, of course, performance art. It gets me out if the house and with other people, but I think most importantly dancing forces me to take the risk of not being perfect.

No performance one does over and over can always be “on”. You will have an off night whether you want to or not. I’ve written other blogs posts concerning work ethics and how a writer has to be disciplined. You will also note that I stated moving your writing profession forward doesn’t have to mean actual writing; you can market, edit, or research topics.

I learned this because of my dancing. Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, ideas just don’t come…shock of shocks, I was having an “off” writer’s day. Through dancing, I now know that creativity, like performance, ebbs and flows. But that’s OK. The stories will come. I don’t have to worry during those times the flow just isn’t there. Tomorrow is a other day of writing, just like next week maybe I will do that rumba step correctly.

And although the two activities are very different, selling a story and having an “on” dancing night instills the same feeling of joy and exhilaration. If you are a fellow author, maybe dancing isn’t for you, but perhaps another “in the moment” activity could be: storytelling, teaching, sports, acting, and good old conversation are all performance arts.

Try it. I’ve come to love having both in my life.

Review

Finished Masters of Fantasy edited by Terry Carr and Martin Harry Greenburg. Maybe I’ve reached my limits on anthologies for awhile because this one just didn’t do it for me. My opinion has NOTHING to do with the quality of the stories; for the most part I thought they were all well written and entertaining. What caused me to be glad to put the book down was the over-riding theme of “bad stuff happens to good people”, or at least, undeserving or oblivious people. One or two of these OK, but twenty?? I was, as my husband would say after listening to Celtic music, ready to slit my wrists. So depressing.

It’s one thing if a bad, mean, or insensitive person gets his or her just desserts, but when something horrible happens to an innocent I wanna scream. Yes, I know it happens in real life, but when I read, I mostly want to enter another world, and the world these stories were taking me to I didn’t want to go.

I also read to learn something. If what I’m learning is that no matter what I do or how hard I struggle some psycho is still going to kill me then why try? What’s a story like that trying to teach me? That some people or creatures are beyond redemption? Give the reader an alien or inhuman viewpoint? Explore how people act in terrible situations? Make you feel better about your own life?

OK. I admit there may be reasons for writing and reading such stories. And I sheepishly admit that I, in fact, have written such tales. But again I say…twenty of them in one anthology??? I think at the very least the editor could have added the word “dark” to the title.

Sigh. I just started another anthology. I hope this one’s not as depressing.

Inspiration

Writers gather their inspiration from many sources: paintings, travel, a walk in the woods, music, conversations, movies, other works of fiction or non fiction…the list is endless. I use all of the above, and I would also add seasons and holidays.

I live in Indiana. A friend of mine once said there are only a few days one can be comfortable outside here; otherwise it’s too hot, too cold, too humid, too rainy. I understand, although I love the changing seasons, especially this time of year. I believe autumn in Indiana would be considered one of those few times it is glorious outside; the crisp cool air is invigorating, not to mention the stained glass leaves against cobalt blue skies.

And then there’s Halloween. I love everything about this holiday; the weather, the costumes, the pumpkin carving, morning mist, renaissance fairs, hayrides, campfires, corn mazes, and that inherent spookiness that arrives with no other celebration. My husband I love it so much we got married on Halloween.

As a writer, I often look for inspiration around this holiday. I’ve written several short stories with a Halloween theme. I often prod my imagination with vintage Halloween items, especially postcards. Back then no one seemed to think Halloween was evil…just magical, mysterious, and fun. Not to say if you're not careful trouble may find you, but that's true of any holiday. Here are a few postcards to perhaps jump start your creativity:

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There are lots of vintage postcards with pretty witches, which I think is rather neat. As Samatha on Bewitched once said, not ALL witches have warts on the end of their noses. :-) Here's a fetching example on her way to a dance...but what kind of dance? The verse says "spooks from far and wide" will be there. But who else? Her love? Is her boyfriend a spook? A story in the making.

Of course, a pretty face can hide all sorts of undesirable character traits. Get a load of this tricky witch; what could you compose about her???

An interesting Halloween tradition of times past was for women to gaze into a mirror and hopefully see their future mate. Here's a lovely woman doing just that. So...what is her intended like? Where will she meet him? He is human...mohaha.

A black cat is such a Halloween icon. This one looks like he has something up his paw. He appears quite dapper. Too dapper. I think he's an enchanted man that got too fresh with one of those pretty witches. :-)

I choose this one because it reminded me of the Munster's family car. This image is so funny. Where is this crew going? Are they all friends? Or did poor hapless Mr. Pumpkin man pick up some hitchhikers he wished later he hadn't...

I liked this one because it reminds me of Disney's the Sorcerer's Apprentice. See? I do like Disney. Sometimes. Anyway, these corn stalks could tell a fine tale, I'm thinking.

Here's a spookier one. This one gives me the creeps. What happened to this sweet child? Will she have a pumpkin head forever? Or maybe she isn't so sweet...maybe she's trying to draw you closer and closer to her bed...

Here's a spooky one about goblins. Read the greeting: The goblins are coming and they'll get you, and I certainly hope they will, for the letter you promised so long ago, is only a promise still. It makes me wonder, to say the least, why someone was so angry over an unsent letter. Did that someone have power over goblins? It sure looks like it. Brrrrrrrr.

I liked this one because it's spooky and because I think it looks like Transylvania. I can see ghosts floating over this darkened metropolis, honing in on its towers and spires via the glowing pumpkin.

This one is cool because it seems like a transition between Halloween and Christmas. Wouldn't the combination make a great story?

I love these postcards. I think I'll do it again for the Yuletide season.