Who Wrote It Challenge #2

Below are our responses to a fifteen minute writing prompt: 

The old house, with its wildly overgrown garden, was silent, secretive.

Can you match the writing sample to the author?

Katie Drake bio

Solange Hommel bio 

J. Rae Moore bio

Lan H. Lee bio

A)

 The old house, with its wildly overgrown garden, was silent, secretive. Annalise 

remembered when her mother had carefully tended the garden. The trellises, now broken 

and dangling, had once dripped with glorious yellow roses. She pictured the fresh coat of 

crisp, white paint that her father had painstakingly applied over the course of a summer, 

using the limited time available each evening between bank closing and nightfall. Over the 

years, the dust and smog had left its mark, turning the siding a dingy gray. She could 

remember the days when Hart Manor regularly appeared on the covers of gardening and 

housekeeping magazines; when locals walked their out-of-town visitors past the matching 

white picket fence with vicarious pride; when her family represented all that was good and 

strong and right in the community. Annalise stood on the cracked sidewalk leading to the 

sagging front door and remembered the old house as the shining beacon it had been 

before the secrets took over.

B) 

          "I bet you five seeds he will only go 25 feet," Eddie says to me, his scavenging partner.
          "You are on, my friend," I reply.

          We both watch as this little boy of about eight takes a tentative step into the overgrown garden. One step, two steps and he stops. The patio of the old house creaks as if on cue, and the little boy turns and runs away.

          "Pay up Eddie, you owe me five seeds," I say as I wait for him to gather the seeds from the sunflower plant.

          "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting them." He hops all the way up to the top of the stem and begrudgingly throws down each seed, one by one.

          "Hey. Watch it." I dodge the seeds being thrown at me.

          "Sorry," Eddie yells down as he peeks his head over the tip of a yellow petal. But, I don't think he's sorry as I hear laughter.

          I wait for him to hop down to help me put the seeds into the cart. My little red wings are too small to carry the seeds.

          "What do you say we go over to Tully's and throw back some nectar when we're done," he say's when he finally makes it down.

          "Yeah, that's sounds great, the quicker we are done here, the sooner we can meet up with the other guys," I say as I nudge a seed his way.

          "Ah, I see what you are doing, and I get it. The first one's on you." Being a grasshopper, he makes quick of the work and we are on our way to the drop off shoot.

         On the way to there as I ignore Eddie's ever constant buzzing, I look around the overgrown garden that I call my home.

C)

Twice I'd been to the town my mother grew up in. I can still picture the endless wheat fields, and of course, my great grandfather Rudy's house. White, with a wrap-around porch and oak trees out front. Even then I new it was a bit shabby, maintained but not cared for.

One Easter I wore a frilly dress with patent leather shoes. All the cousins hunted for eggs and I got my first Easter basket. For Rudy's ninety-fifth birthday there was a parade. I was seven and thought the celebration was just for him. I didn't know it was for Oktoberfest. All the grand kids wore matching yellow outfits made by an aunt. I still have the little matching purse. We piled in the car with Rudy. I remember it was a convertible. I don't remember the actual drive. 

I can picture the table in the kitchen and mother helping make the fresh sausage. I would climb the dark, creaky stairs to the second floor and play with my mother's old barbies. The ones stored there from when she was a little girl. There were only two.

       The back yard was like a strange forest; part junk yard for old tractor and irrigation supplies, and part retreat from too many people. Sometimes there was an odd man out there. He never spoke to me and the others rarely spoke to him. But he belonged there. Once I saw him coating the picket fence with white paint. He also kept an eye on a bird feeder and would sit and watch the birds for hours while he polished little stones with a scrap of felt. I would see him slip through a small door at the back of the house that led to what I thought was the cellar. I was not allowed in. I never saw anyone follow him. They never even told me his name.

       They should have. He was my grandfather, my mother's father, son to Rudy. Now they are all gone and I've come back to the old house. The garden has run wild, covering the rusted metal of the farm equipment. The old picket fence is no longer white, but grey and leaning. The birds are gone. I found the polished rocks lined up from the bird feeder to the little cellar door.

D)

                    16 August 2016

To the Dark Forest Code Compliance Office,

I am sending this letter in reference to the numerous notices and fees I have received from your office about the overgrown condition of my yard.

Firstly, let me remind you of the past accolades my yard and home have earned.

·         The Yummiest Yard Award presented in May 2013, 2014, and 2015 by the Little Gnomes Society.

·         The Delectable Décor Honor presented in August 2013 and April 2015 by The Munchkin League of Fairytale Land

·         The Stripes are Scrumptious Medal presented in June 2013, 2014, and March 2016 by The Fairies for Equality Foundation.

·         The Editable Construction Certificate presented for the year of 2014 by King Phillip –himself!     

As you can see, I am not in the habit of letting my property fall into ruin. Maintaining a gingerbread house is a full time investment. However, because of the debilitating injuries I suffered in an unfortunate incident earlier this year, I’ve had no choice but to fall behind on the maintenance of my estate.

Surely, you read about the incident in the Princess Daily Press. Although the article was extremely one-sided, making me out to be some kind of monster, I’m sure you’ll be reassured once you hear my side of it.

It was in early May when I caught two children nibbling away at the siding on my house. Of course, I felt sorry for the poor dears. They were obviously very hungry, so I invited them inside. If only I knew what was to come.

Once inside my home, the boy, Hansel, went into a frenzy, eating and licking everything in sight. I thought the boy foolish with hunger so I placed him in an enclosure to save my home. I had his sister, Gretel, help me whip together a batch of my famous chocolate chip butter cookies. Sure, the children ate the cookies with no complaint, but when I insisted Gretel help tidy up the preparation mess, she threw a huge temper tantrum. I explained the concept of cleaning up after oneself but there was no calming the child. – I blame the parents –

Seeing I would get no help from the children, I went about cleaning the oven myself. It wasn’t until I felt the firm push that I realized my mistake. Those horrible, ungrateful, evil children had pushed me in and closed the door. Consequently, I suffered major injuries. I spent weeks in the hospital and am still in the process of returning to full health. Thus, all of this has hindered me from keeping up my home.

I should hope you understand. I am asking for the full dismissal of the accumulated warnings and fees your code compliance officer has nailed to my front door. And, compensation for the damage said officer has caused to my door with said nails. Thank you.

Awaiting Action,

The Witch in the Gingerbread House on Canetree Lane

P.S. I was sorry to hear of Hansel and Gretel’s recent disappearances in the paper. I’m sure they’ll turn up.

P.P.S. Please extend an invitation to Code Compliance Officer, Miss Priss. I invite her to come to my house for milk and cookies. She knows where I live.

_______

Thanks for reading! Please, take a second to introduce yourself in the comments below. Don't forget to make your guesses about the authorship of each sample. Even better: set a timer for 15 minutes and share what you've written! 

We'll let you know who wrote which sample next week. Good luck!

On Making Believe: An Interview with Author Dianne Gardner

I met Dianne in the #Pitchwars Twitter feed
and felt drawn in by her diverse books,
her artwork, and her brave voyage into the realm of television screenplays.

My interest piqued, I figured the best way to find out more about Dianne's creative path was to ask her... And do a little web trolling.

www.smashwords.com

Katie: Your books are diverse. You've written about life underwater, travels to magical realms, a dystopia, and a historical fantasy. What draws you to so many genres? Is there an underlying theme which connects your stories?

Dianne: Every story I have written has a fantastical element. Mermaids in Pouraka, Altered, though a dystopia, also has a Native American Myth woven into its thread. The Ian’s Realm Saga is a portal travel saga as is Cassandra’s Castle. I also have one humorous vampire story titled An Unconventional Mr. Peadlebody. Each of these fantasies are really the same genre, just a different subgenre and Cassandra’s Castle is the fifth book in the Ian’s Realm Saga.

Katie: Cassandra's Castle will be released on August 31st. You self-publish and handle your own promotions. Can you tell us what self-pub strategies work for you? What tips would you share with other authors considering self-pub?

Dianne: I’m still experimenting with self-publishing and am also querying agents with my next book. As much as I enjoy the control I have (I do my own covers), I find it extremely difficult to promote and market my own work. Some authors do a really good job getting their books seen and I think a lot of that depends on genre. Romance for example, sells well in the self-published arena. Young Adult fantasy, I think is a hit and miss. For authors that like speaking publicly, there could be a big market at schools and libraries.

Katie: Cassandra's Castle is the 5th book in the Ian's Realm Saga. What started you on the path from manuscript to screenplay? And can you tell us about your journey from manuscript to screenplay?

Dianne: Three years ago I got some friends together to film a book trailer for Cassandra’s Castle (I thought the book was going to be published by a small press at the time). A videographer, some actors, and my fencing coach. We gathered some costumes, some lunch, and headed up to Fort Worden near Port Townsend WA. We had a blast filming the book trailer and on the way home talked about how awesome it would be if we filmed the entire book. Well lots has happened in the direction since then including getting legendary actor Robert Miano to play the wizard, a director from Chicago, and one of Seattle’s best cinematographer. I’ve written the story into a TV series and fleshed out the character more than I had in the original draft of the book, and now since I edited, inserted some of the screenplay scenes into the novel. 

We’ve won 8 film festivals screening with our trailer, and three awards including best trailer and a trophy for my script for the pilot. We’ve applied for some grants to film the first episode and are waiting to hear.

In the process, I have discovered that there’s a huge venue for screenwriting. I wrote another of my stories (An Unconventional Mr. Peadlebody) into a stage play and that script won Best Mystery at a local screenplay festival.

There seems to be more demand for screenwriters than novelists. I hope to pursue that field further.

Katie: You created a video trailer for the proposed television series. What are a few little know facts about making a trailer like this?

Dianne: The trailer you see is 1.5 minutes long. That trailer took 14 hours to film, 30 cast and crew members and close to $8,000. Filming a period piece is of course going to cost more than contemporary productions because of props and costumes, and the fact we needed a castle to film at. Plus, we had Robert Miano come and play the wizard and we had to fly him, our director, and our unit project manager in. The amount of time and effort and funding that it takes to film is phenomenal.

Everyone loves movies and TV, but do they really appreciate what goes into one? I can tell you this, having a film made in your locale is an extreme benefit to the local economy. Some of the services we used are hotels, caterers, dry cleaners, fabric shops, rental companies, grocery stores, coffee houses, restaurants, taxies, office supplies, printers, seamstresses, pyro-technicians and supplies, antique stores, make-up artists, and the list goes on, and of course, we needed extras. 

Katie: On your website I found steps for creating a Yurt, an adventure on a large ship, and a map for the Ian's Realm Saga. How do you use visuals like these to inspire your writing?

Dianne: You saw steps for creating a yurt, and you also saw a day on a tall ship. I’m a visual artist. If you look elsewhere on my website you’ll see oil paintings that I have done. The experience of being on a tall ship, learning the vocabulary, and breathing in the taste of the sea and the whisper of the sails, are part of experience what we write about. Ian’s Realm Saga has Ian on a tall ship with pirates, and this ‘Discovery Voyage’ on the Hawaiian Chieftain was a hands on course for researching my manuscript. Same with building a yurt. In Ian’s saga, the native people live in yurts. I was indeed thrilled when my friends invited me to watch how they constructed their Mongolian yurt, which by the way is entirely hand made.

Katie: I read your post about the backstory for one of your characters. What is the most interesting or complex backstory you've created and how do you use backstories to influence plots or character arcs?

Dianne: Valerio has the most complex backstory. Being the antagonist of Cassandra’s Castle, I felt the need to really develop his history and give him a reason for being who he is. Overthrowing a monarchy is no easy feat, and he really needed to be grounded in his intent, for these sort of things can’t be taken lightly. I did not want a cliché villain. I wanted someone deep, someone the audience can understand, even if they don’t agree with him. And I needed someone who was convincing, because he has to convince Cassandra’s that his cause is for the good.

Katie: You've posted quotes on your Twitter feed and have character quotes on your website. What are some of your favorite quotes?

Dianne: When Cassie lies to the wizard, Silvio eyes her suspiciously and later when he accuses her of being gullible, she contests his accusation. He turns to her, and hisses at her saying “Those who party in deceit will be fooled by it.”

Valerio, when Cassie mentions that her father doesn’t know she entered the portal, thinks to himself she’s a young rebel. So when Cassie asks him what he and his men are up to, he looks at her with a smug smile and says, “Ah! The inquisitiveness of a rebel as to the work of a revolutionary!”

I asked Dianne a few questions, just for fun, to help us get to know her more.

1. What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting?

I work best at my desk. We live on 1.5 acres of land, beautiful setting. There’s only me and my husband and he stays as much to himself as I do to myself. I can’t ask for a better place to work!

2. If I gave you $40,000 to start a business, what would you start?

I’d put it toward filming the Pilot episode of Cassandra’s Castle.

3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?

10

4. Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper?

Pepsi always.

5. When you were ten, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a graphic artist for Disney and work at Disneyland (I grew up in L.A.)

6. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

I’m usually thinking about my stories. Almost always. That or filming.

7. How would you describe the color yellow to somebody who is blind?

Think warm, a light-to-the-touch warm, with the taste of butterscotch and the fragrance of honey.

8. Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing.

Our trailer. I’m really proud of how it came out, the wonderful time we had filming it, my fencing coach and the time he spent teaching our actors to fence, the new friends we made, the encouragement everyone gave us, and all the awards we’ve been getting.

Katie: What else would you like to share with us?

Dianne: I can share an excerpt. This is the portal entry scene, when Cassie first discovers the entry into the Realm through her cell phone. She is in the woods with her friend Monica and Daemon, and she’s taking photos of them dressed in revolutionary costumes for a term project they’re doing.

The Term Project

“Are you serious Cassie? You want me to wear this? I mean the Khaki’s I can understand but this…this thing?” Daemon held up a cardboard cone painted red and stapled together. “On my head? Who made this thing?”

“I did and it’ll look like a uniform in the photo. That’s all we need. It doesn’t have to be real.” Cassie positioned him next to a stump and placed the make-believe fez securely on his head. She pushed his wavy overgrown hair behind his ears and took off his dark rimmed glasses. He blinked and then squinted, his thick brown lashes covered his dark hazel eyes.

“I can’t see.” Daemon was Cassie’s age but she always thought of him as a younger brother. Too skinny for sports, Daemon was a computer geek in every sense of the word. Getting him out in the sunshine was a feat in itself, much less having him put on a Turkish uniform for a term project.

“It’s OK. You aren’t going anywhere.”

“I don’t know Cassie,” Monica complained, tossing her blond hair over her shoulders and stepping next to Daemon. Her sneakers caught the hem of her long black skirt and she stumbled. “This outfit is disgusting. Suffrage? Seriously? I’m suffering in this dress all right! I don’t see why we couldn’t have done our term project on something cool instead of dressing up like dorks. Everyone’s going to laugh at us. Besides, cool things did happen in 1908, you know. Like Ford and the Model T, or Orville Wright and the airplane! Why did you have to choose a war?”

Cassie sighed. “Get closer to Daemon, Monica, he won’t bite. Why should we do the same report everyone else is doing? And our project isn’t just on war. The project is about revolution which is entirely different. Each of us will report on one of the major revolutions of that time period. Be thinking of which one you want to cover.”

“Why the fez?” Daemon snickered.

“The Turkish revolution is the easiest to make accessories for.” Cassie returned the sour look as she rummaged through her backpack.

“Begging your pardon, Miss Liberty, but this is not a Turkish accessory. It’s a paper plate?”

“Daemon does it matter? Who else will be dramatizing their projects like this? No one, that’s who. Just wait and see. We’re going to ace this.”

She pulled a toy rifle from her pack and placed it in Daemon’s hand. “Here, Monica.” Cassie handed her friend a flag painted with the word ‘women’s rights’. Monica rolled her eyes.

“Hold still now. Look serious.” Cassie stepped back and held up her camera. “Move in closer, Mon.”

“Are we supposed to smile or what?” Monica asked, scowling.

“No. Look like revolutionaries who believe in what you’re fighting for.”

“I don’t’,” Daemon dropped the gun and crossed his arms over his chest.

Cassie lowered her camera.

“You don’t? You don’t believe in freedom? You don’t think these are causes that people were passionate about? C’mon Daemon this is real. These people changed the world. Think Les Mes!” She picked up the toy and handed it to him again. He reluctantly accepted.

“Les Mes was overrated. No one was singing during the French Revolution. They were dying. People killed each other in these wars, Cassie. I’m not into that. The world can be changed without killing.”

“Maybe so but it wasn’t. Besides, what could be better to report on than movements that bettered our lives?”

“You want my opinion? I think we should do our report on Ed Ruelbach’s shutout against the Dodgers.”

“That’d be even more hilarious! We could all wear baseball jerseys and beat each other over the head with bats!” Monica sneered.

“Which would be a lot more interesting than standing in the woods letting Cassie take pictures of us in our pajamas! With red paper cones on our heads!” Daemon returned.

“Ah! Perfect!” Cassie exclaimed. That’s the look I wanted. There! Baseball did nothing to better the world.” Cassie argued. She held her cell phone up again and snapped several more shots.

“That’s your opinion.” Daemon said.

“Besides, sacrifices had to be made for freedom.” She clicked to the gallery on her phone, curious to see how the shots came out

“Easy for you to say. You wouldn’t have had to fight in the trenches. Are we done yet?”

When she enlarged the photos on her screen her mouth fell open. Shocked by the images, her mind started spinning. There had to be an explanation.

Monica sighed. “C’mon Cassie, this dress is wool and it’s 70 degrees.”

“What’s going on?” Daemon asked.

Cassie looked up at them and then at her camera again. Behind the still of Daemon and Monica were three soldiers. One kneeled in a firing position, the other two lying prone in what appeared to be a trench, their rifles smoldering. Smoke surrounded them and concealed much of their environment. Cassie saw water behind them, as though the men were along the coast shooting out toward the sea.

Daemon raced to her side and pulled his glasses out of her pocket. Pushing the spectacles onto his nose, he took a closer look at her phone. “Holy Toledo!” Daemon whistled. “What do you think that’s about?”

Cassie didn’t answer, though her heart beat against her chest. This was just like the stories her father had told her about when he entered the portal, except it was happening on her cell phone instead of a computer. “The Realm. My dad’s Realm.”

Monica looked over Cassie’s shoulder. After viewing the image, she finally spoke. “You’re kidding, right?”

Daemon tried taking the phone but Cassie pulled away.

“Monica, take a photo of me,” Cassie said.

“No.” Daemon snapped.

“It’s here, Daemon. The portal is right there by that tree! Dad’s world! Last night I saw a couple of strange images on my phone. A bearded kid and a hairy old man. I thought I was just tired, but now I know what’s happening.”

“Cassie what are you talking about? What’s happening?” Monica jumped back with her hands in the air, refusing to take the phone that Cassie offered her.

“She’s talking about the Realm. She thinks this is a portal now because there’s a glitch in that crazy camera of hers. Probably some website sent you those images.”

“No Daemon, I would know if it was spam. And it’s not a glitch. Look. Those are real people. Another click of the camera and I bet I go in. In fact, I’m sure of it.”

“Go in where?” Monica asked.

“The Realm. The portal.”

“You mean the place your father used to tell stories about?” Monica asked.

“They aren’t stories,” Daemon mumbled, reaching for the phone, again. This time he took hold of it, but Cassie wrestled it away.

“What? You believe her?”

“Rarely do I believe Cassie.” Daemon assured her. “But I do believe her dad. I’ve talked to Mr. Wilson about his adventures. There’s a world that runs parallel to ours and Mr. Wilson says portals exist that can take you there.” Daemon faced Cassie. “He also says it’s a dangerous world. He wouldn’t approve of you going through a portal. I’m sure of it.”

“Dangerous?” Monica shot a look first at Cassie, and then Daemon.

“The dragon’s gone, Daemon. Dad knows that. He’s the one that got it out.”

“Dragon?” Monica turned white.

“There are other dangers, too. A mountain where people disappear! Pirates! It’s an unpredictable world.” Daemon argued.

“Unpredictable and filled with intrigue and adventure.” Cassie laughed, excitement filling every vein in her body. She giggled. “This is the entrance! I finally found it!”

“Are you guys joking?” Monica’s eyes bulged.

“No!” Daemon and Cassie both answered in unison.

“You aren’t going to disappear. Not an option. No,” Daemon reached for her phone, again.

Cassie stumbled away from him and tripped into the ferns. “You can't stop me Daemon. I’m going in with or without you two.”

“That’s insane, Cassie,” Monica said.

“I’ll have my cell phone. You can text me.” Cassie scrambled to the spot where Daemon and Monica had been posed, and held the phone in front of her.

“No!” Daemon lunged for her.

Cassie clicked the shutter. Monica screamed. A great blue flash lit up the woods and when Cassie blinked, her friends were gone…or rather she was.

To purchase Cassandra's Castle or any of Dianne's stories, visit Smashwords and Amazon. 

Mindgames and Mindsets

When it comes to writing contests and making submissions, I've had both success and ... not success. Both required patience while waiting for results. Neither gave me the head trip I've been on this last week after submitting to #Pitchwars.

What is Pitch Wars? It's a fantastic opportunity to gain a professional literary business mentor who will help you whip your full manuscript into shape with the goal of presenting your query and first page to an online gathering of agents. In past years, about half the participating mentees walked away with agents.

Unlike other submissions, this one comes with a full on, engaged Twitter community. Which is great-really. The mentors and the mentee hopefuls are kind and uplifting. They are endlessly supportive and giving. They are also a group of relentless teasers. (Which, to be honest, is half the fun.)

Literally, as in #PWTeasers.
Thus, the mindgames.

I've been following the Twitter feed for a week now-a habit I never had before. I'm pulled in by the hope, the slight (yes, 1% chance this year) promise my manuscript will get picked for mentorship.

I started trolling the feeds. Searching for teasers about my MS. Scanning for hints a mentor read, liked, and will maybe pick my submission. I laugh at the wit and banter and tell myself to stay strong, knowing a hint about my MS is bound to pop up.

Now, I am trying to keep my game face on. The one that does not let the slow, creepy crazy show through. Did I enter the correct email address on the sub form? Did the file really upload correctly? I think one mentor got it-so does that mean the others did too? I read there were a few upload glitches-what if mine was one and I never find out? I could miss my chance. So many doubts.

Reading the #Pitchwars and #PWTeaser posts from so many upbeat people reminds me a lot of Growth Mindset.

Growth Mindset is a huge buzz word/phrase in education, but is applicable anywhere.
Basically, if you believe you can make positive changes and continued growth, then you can.

The human brain is remarkable. You've heard of dendrites and synapses, those parts of the brain which carry electrical impulses and information? You can make more of them and then connect them together to create a sort of superhighway for information transfer.

The brain can also shut down, or at least parts will not function at their fullest potential if you have deficits. Deficits can come in many forms, like self doubt.

These lead toward Fixed Mindsets, or the idea that you cannot get any better than you are right now.

Though they do not know it, the people of Pitch Wars are reminding me to keep my Growth Mindset and 'stick-to-it-iveness'. I may not get a mentorship. I may not even get my current manuscript published. But I believe I have the guts to continue and the will to learn more.

Success is in my future!

Once again, the writing community is teaching me a lesson.

Sunshine Blogger Nominations-Who Is In?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are inspiring and bring sunshine into the lives of their readers and fellow bloggers through their blogspace and/or their social media.

This week I had the honor of being nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by my writing group member and fellow MCC contributor, Solange Hommel.

How does the Sunshine Blogger Award work? It’s pretty simple, really. 

• Name drop and link to the blog of the person who nominated you.
• Answer the eleven questions from the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate up to eleven wonderful bloggers and write (or borrow/steal) eleven questions for them to answer.

Here are my answers to Solange's questions:

What do you snack on while you’re writing? I try, I really do, to stay away from the sweets while I am writing. But alas, I am weak. Typically I go for candy-preferably peanut butter M&M's-or crackers. Both are no-nos because they make me gain weight, so I am trying to be smart and not have bad stuff in the house. I'm also making it a goal to work out more and to not sit at the computer for such long stretches of time. My current go-to snacks are nuts, lots of green tea and coffee (minus the creamer) and left overs.  

What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting? We have a space in the house we call the library because it holds an awesome armoire we found to hold all our books. The room also has a couch, a few chairs and an ottoman, and a coffee table. Plenty of natural light comes in all day which I know it better for our brains. I can take a quick, cheap coffee break and sometimes even get a load of laundry done as I write. Most important though is the room's position at the front of the house. No one passes through and if anyone joins me it is because they have work to do as well. Confession-I can visit this spot as often as I like, yet I tend not to use it as often as I should. (I'm currently on one of the chairs by the window with my laptop on my knees because my son took over the couch and coffee table for his work in his first college course. Snack provided-a fruit smoothy with broccoli stem trims left from dinner and Bulgarian yogurt.)

What is that one weird trick you can do? I can pick up things with my toes. You know how it is when your USB drive drops just behind the couch and it is easier to stick your foot back there than move the whole couch? Yeah, I can handle that. My husband thinks it's gross. 

Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing. Is this a trick question, Soli? I'm proud of each for different reasons, I guess. Torrent because it was my first and I got my favorite lit agency to take a look at the first 30 pages; The Ragnarok Recurrence because it was my second and I felt like I knew more about what the heck I was doing; and The Children of Muspell because it was my first short story attempt and it placed in a competition on Chanillo.

Which clique did you hang out with in high school? If you could go back, would you hang out with the same crowd or choose different friends? Now I have to decide just how honest I want to be. Jeez, might as well go for it. I had a strong group of friends in high school. I am still friends with many of them today. My besties have been with my since early grade school. Truthfully, we were an eclectic mix. Band nerds, stoners, academics-but none of us were really committed to any of it. We sort of drifted when we were in those separate groups, but flourished when we were together. Now the really honest bit. Looking back at what we did and who we each became, I am not sure I would surround myself with ALL the same people. Could I have picked more driven people? Yes. Could I have picked those who would have been more loyal? Yes. Should I have listened to the advice they gave. Not always. The thing is, these people shaped me. Our shared laughter, tears, frights, and fights made me who I was at the time. Now I recognize who was best for me and who was not.

How have you improved the world during your lifetime? I teach gifted students to know who they are and how to manage their talents. My world improvement plan is long term with the rewards to come in about 20 years when these kids grow up to make the next big innovations and discoveries.

Teleportation. Would you do it? Why or why not? With the tech we have right now (and I know someone is working on it!), definitely no. I am simply not that trusting. Once the method is perfected, then yes, I think I would. I love to travel, but I don't like the actual go-from-here-to-there part of it. If I could skip the middle man and jump from one destination to another, I would teleport. Part of me is thinking of the whole molecular puzzle I would become. That does freak me out. So, whoever out there is working on this, please try something that only bends space and time, not our bodies.

What is your favorite stupid joke? Why did the boy throw the clock out the window?  He wanted to see time fly. (Oh, so corny!)

What charitable organization do you think more people should support? I don't have a specific charity in mind, but I'd like to see more support for the homeless in America; especially homeless veterans. Why is it the populace and the government are more willing to send aid to other countries than to work towards helping our own citizens? My friend's husband recently went through training to become a deacon. Part of his training was to spend the weekend as a homeless man in downtown Austin. The point was to learn empathy and to look at a situation from all sides. I try to do the same when I see a person in need, yet I am not sure how to help.

What is one topic you would never be able to write about? Why? Politics. It is a huge turn off for me. I'm not interested, therefore I do not know enough about it to write from multiple view points or to come up with some interesting angle.

Name three things that are always in your fridge. 1) Milk; we buy the grocery store brand because it is lactose free, and has less sugar and more protein than regular milk. Also, it tastes better than other lactose free milks. We have been experimenting with almond milk and coconut milk. 2) Eggs; I'm not particular on the brand. I look for the best price. They do have to be from cage free hens raised without antibiotics and hormones (same goes for our meat). Ideally, the hens would be farm raised/free range. Sometimes I can get eggs from our friends who keep chickens. 3) Sandwich meat; I try to get the least processed meat I can, but the cost is prohibitive. I've settled on Butterball's natural turkey slices. They make an easy grab-and-go protein snack and for the hungrier of us in the house, the slices are there for a quick sandwich. 

Now I get to nominate others whose blogs and social media spread good vibes:

J. Rae Moore is a friend to me in many ways. She taught me about being a mother of gifted kids, how to maintain a positive attitude and more about writing than I can list. She is a member of my writing group and will be a contributor to this blog.

Amanda Noddings does a great job sharing inspirational messages about obtaining your goals. We met in high school (in band), but thanks to her media I know her much better now than I ever did back then.

I don't know her, but Katy on Gone Paleo... with the Occasional Faileo makes me laugh. I came across her site while looking for Paleo recipes.

Nat Russo is the author of the Mukhtaar Chronicles, a series of fantasy novels. He keeps a blog of writer tips. I've borrowed a lot of his ideas for beta-reading.

Brad P. Christy is another author friend of mine. His current blog combines his love of horror movies and wine. 

I met Nikki Loftkin at my first Writers' League of Texas conference and I kept bumping into her because of commonalities like gifted education, writing for YA and living in the same general area.

This guy, Gary McDaniel III, impressed me with his blog. I guess that's because he is young and taking on so much-and he has unique ideas. And he kinda reminds me of my students.

I like the blog Pub Rants maintained by agent Kristin Nelson because she teaches and tells it like it is. This is my top pick agency.

Ginny Isbelle is funny and one of the high school friends I am so glad to still be in contact with. Catch one of her stand-up comedy appearances in Spokane. I follow her on Facebook and now challenge her to spread her humor to more people.

My questions for these folks are:

1. What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting?
2. If I gave you $40,000 to start a business, what would you start?
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?
4. Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper?
5. When you were ten, what did you want to be when you grew up?
6. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
7. How would you describe the color yellow to somebody who is blind?
8. Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing.
9. Who has impressed you lately?
10. Which is more believable-dragons or fairies?
11. What is your best family moment?

Don't Let Fear of Participation Keep You on the Sidelines

I'm still surprised at the eclectic personalities I encounter at classes and conferences. Some stand out and some are forgettable because they are too afraid to participate.

I learned a lesson years ago in band class--yes, I played flute and sousaphone in the marching band, go Highlanders! I remember the scene so vividly; the way the band hall smelled of stale spit and old carpet mixed with Drakkar Noir and Sun Ripened Raspberry, staples of the mid 90's gym locker; my climb to the mountainous third tier back row to join the tuba section; the two other tuba players who'd been to State and come back with ribbons flowing and me, fresh from the practice rooms just learning my scales. 

When the band director asked me to play, I could have simply shared what I learned, been crappy as I knew I would be next to the others in my section, and no one would have given it a second thought--they'd been newbies at some point, too. Instead, I let my insecurities get the better of me and I refused to play the stupid scale. All heads in the room turned towards me, exactly what I wanted to avoid but had caused by my lack of participation. The more the teacher cajoled the more I refused. I earned a big old F that day.

My lesson was this-suck it up and get in there! People are generally nice and you (meaning me) will have a better time and learn more with interaction.

This was classic fear of failure. Rather than making a mistake and letting others know of my possible failures, I chose to let them assume I didn't know anything. I've come a long way since then. Perhaps its because of maturity, gained confidence, or it could be because of the way I manage my class. I expect my students to make mistakes. I expect them to share all ideas-even if they are crazy. You never know when the crazy idea will be the right idea....just at a later time. I want my kids to participate and so I've learned to create a classroom atmosphere in which this is the expectation and where not being perfect is okay. I totally agree with the suggestions for getting kids to participate in this article.

Adults need encouragement as well and lucky for us our fellow authors are out there waiting to give out pats on the back. Our writing classes are built for risk taking and reaping the rewards of participation. All you have to do is believe you have something to contribute-an idea, a skill, a new point of view. By even showing up at a class you have already announced your intentions to improve your craft. People admire that commitment. You might as well just speak your mind while you are there.

If you are giving a class and want to encourage participation, here is a short list of tactics to try:

1. Keep things positive. No one like to speak up if they feel they might be shot down.
2. Give time for others to talk. People may shy away if they feel rushed.
3. Encourage creative thinking. Sometimes we stray from the norm and those who do should still be able to share their thoughts.
4. Keep things rolling and maybe provide an outline of the class. As a participant, I might not feel confident about all the aspects of a class---after all, I am there to learn--but I might be brave enough to share my knowledge about a certain part of the overall topic.
5. Give praise, even if  the answer is 'wrong'. Remember the old rule about giving a compliment, critique and another compliment. Everyone is doing something well.
6. Use visuals. Personally, I learn better if I can see and hear and DO while taking a class.
7. Try the old teacher trick of wait time. After you ask a question or call for a volunteer, count to ten. This lets people think about what they want to say.
8. Create a relationships with your class. Let them know why you should be trusted--share your expertise and act like someone who wants to be there. Your attitude will influence theirs.

I chose to face my fears head on by jumping into writing and classes and conferences. I started a    writing group and placed my learning in a positive atmosphere. The more I attended the better I felt and the more I participated. Not everyone can do that. It is okay to ease into conquering a fear. Tips and techniques abound and getting started in any way will clue you in to the benefits of become a participant and not a wallflower.