Writing a Christmas Legacy That Will Last For Generations

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Several years ago, my family and I had the pleasure of seeing Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of literary master Charles Dickens perform A Christmas Carol. He bears a striking resemblance to the author of this classic Christmas story. Dressed in a cravat, embroidered waistcoat, and frock coat he transported the audience to 1800’s London. In 1867, Charles Dickens originally toured the U.S. reading his literary works before captivated audiences. Historians report that A Christmas Carolwas his favorite piece to perform. Gerald Charles Dickens has embraced Dickens’ enthusiasm and it is indicated in his performance.

It was “the best of times” to watch him leap, creep, laugh and cry performing his one-man show. He embraced and characterized all 26 characters in this beloved Christmas tale of his ancestor. His only props were a hat rack, wing chair and table. Our children were familiar with the story but his version was mesmerizing holding their attention for the entire performance. It was a wonderful family memory for us. If you have the opportunity to see his performance, I highly recommend it for you and your family.

Another Dickens ancestor, Cedric Charles Dickens, the great-grandson of Charles Dickens authored the book, Christmas with Dickens.  He also wrote The Sayings of Charles Dickens, Drinking with Dickens, The "George and Vulture" in "Pickwick Papers", The Miracle of Pickwick or... the Goodness of Pickwickedness and Dining with Dickens. 

The writings of Charles Dickens has certainly sustained his family for generations, through various venues, including reissued books, new books themed after his characters, television shows, movies, musicals, annual Christmas plays and Dicken’s descendants’ careers. We should all strive to write a classic tale that has the potential of lasting for the entertainment of the “ghosts” of the past, present and future.

We can do this, so in the words of Tiny Tim, “God Bless Us, Everyone!”

  

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Every seven years, or so, Thanksgiving falls "late" in November, just like this year, leaving only three shopping weekends before Christmas. 

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, began on November 27 and ends on Thursday, December 5th. For the first time since 1888, it falls during Thanksgiving and has been called by some, "Thanksgivingukkah." This will not occur again for almost another 78,000 years. Hanukkah, normally is celebrated around the time of Christmas or slightly earlier but usually not this early. 

Because of these dates in 2013, retail folks have been thrown into a panic mode, worried about a lost weekend of sales. I can't remember a time when Christmas holiday sales, ad campaigns, and staged "panic shopping" started before Halloween. Retailers are desperately wanting us to focus on coming to their establishments to shop and buy them out before the turkey is even put in the oven. Let the "Thanksgrabbing" begin? 

Whoa, Nelly the whole reason we have the holiday of Thanksgiving is to allow us to join together, reflect on our bounty, and celebrate with family and friends. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it as a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens," in 1863. 

We really owe Thanksgiving being a holiday to the writer, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, author of the nursery rhyme, "Mary Had a Little Lamb." She began a vigorous and methodical campaign that lasted 17 years to officially establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Previously, it was celebrated only in New England and was largely unknown in the South and West. 

So, thank you author, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale. Although we are writers in very different centuries, I appreciate and will celebrate Thanksgiving due to your steadfast efforts. I will reflect and enjoy the day you envisioned for our nation. Today, with family and friends, we will raise a glass in toast to your brilliant dream for our nation and give thanks for our many blessings and say, "Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!"

Did You Survive Mercury's Retrograde?

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

I'm an NCIS and NCIS-LA fan. Last week, Deek's, one of the characters on NCIS-LA mentioned "Mercury in retrograde" twice. The episode entitled, "The Livelong Day," showed two sets of partners disagreeing over topics not exactly related to the case.

Since I'm not an astrology follower or a student of astronomy, I had no idea what the term meant. Being a writer, I did what writers do, researched the term. The good news is “Mercury in retrograde” last period of 2013 started October 21 and ended November 11. The bad news it happens three times every year at different periods during each year.

According to "The Old Farmer's Almanac, we are all influenced when Mercury is in retrograde." The planet Mercury is known as the planet governing truth, transportation and communications. When planets appear to be moving backwards this illusion is referred to as a planet "in retrograde." A lot of planets have this "retrograde illusion" but Mercury seems to cause the most negative issues. Who knew?

During this time of “Mercury in retrograde”; miscommunication, misjudgment, decisions regarding travel, or engage in new activities may be problematic. The negative impact could have a disruptive “one step forward, two steps back” kind of result. Mercury retrograde with the appearance of backward streaming in the skies gives backward intention to all communications, period. Yikes!

I think this phenomenon makes for an interesting consideration given November is National Novel Writing Month. A number of authors I know are having troubles meeting their daily word count goals, according to their posts on various social media sites. Is “Mercury in retrograde" to blame? Sorry, I think, NOT, nice try but the period has ended.

If you are one of the 294,522 writers committed to having a completed novel by November 30, it's time to buckle down and get that novel written. Stay off all the social media venues and write your book. You need this time you have chosen to craft your book. Succeeding in this goal will make you feel accomplished. After your book has been published you can tweet and give status updates on it's release, but only if you write it.

Forget “Mercury in retrograde” it's over and finish your novel. Fourteen days of November has past, it's okay. There is plenty of time for you to reach your goal and finish that novel!

Writing from Your Dog's Point of View

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Do you ever wonder what your dog is thinking? Especially, during today's holiday, Halloween, I often wonder what my dog thinks. 

Eager, costumed children with trick-or-treat bags and masked faces tentatively approach our decorated yard and porch. They are seeking a candy treat. Seated just inside the entry hall looking out the glass and metal security door sits our big dog. It's easy to know what the children are thinking but what is the dog thinking as he watches the children walk up his porch? 

Stories written from a dog's point of view are unique and can be a challenge but fun to write. A canine point of view makes for a unique perspective and sometimes a classic tale. A writer obviously does not know what a dog is thinking, so fiction is created. 

Dog storytelling has made for great classics, still being read by school children worldwide. One such classic, Jack London’s, The Call of the Wild about Buck and his adventure, still entertains its readers. 

When writing a story with a dog protagonist, you should remember;

1. Keep the language simple. Short sentences work best. Dogs don’t think in human words, although they may respond to human commands. Care must be used to filter out our human perception and speak canine in our writing.

2. Make sure you give your dog actions that match his perspective. 

3. Your dog's traits need to lead your readers into a dog's secret world. Consider how a dog might think, respond, feel, remember, and behave in different situations. 

4. If you write "he shakes his head when you try to pet him," it doesn't really convey anything. However, writing "he remembers something hurtful whenever a hand is raised towards his head," draws the reader into the dog's story that has yet to be revealed.

5. Draw your readers to your dog hero. Don’t tell them this is the dog everyone wants. Instead, imply that this is the dog nobody wants. That is what the reader wants to hear and will keep them reading to the end of your story.

With a dog as the main protagonist, in a Halloween tale, telling the story encompasses their heightened senses. Sights, sounds, smells, touch and taste will be different for dogs than us human writers. For one thing they are shorter, and more at a trick or treaters eye level. 

Come this Halloween evening, as the trick or treaters approach your home, watch your dog and try to write about what he might be thinking. The story you create will have an unusual perspective.

Happy Howl-o-ween!

Do You Have A Vine?

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

No, I'm not talking about Lucy in the wine vats.

As an author, Vine could help glean far-reaching exposure for your latest book. "What is Vine? Vine is a mobile service that lets you create and share short looping videos. Videos you post to Vine will appear on your Vine profile and the timelines of your Vine followers. Posts can also be shared to Twitter or Facebook." Teens and 20-something's pushed it from its start in February to 13 million followers in June and it is still growing. 

Think of it as the Twitter version of You Tube. It's only six seconds long. So yes, you can do a video to promote your latest book via your smart phone. Then once you get a Vine under your belt you can do a longer book trailer video to continue your book promotion on You Tube.

As a subscriber to Southern Writers Magazine, You Tube videos can be uploaded to our free promotional product, Must Read TV. 

How can you use Twitter's Vine as a valuable writing tool? 

1. Download the app.

2. Plan your video because, talk about tight writing, six seconds is not a long period of time. The point of Vine is a video of action. If the shot should be a photo don't bore your reader/viewers. Focus on an image and let it move through the camera frame. 

3. Avoid shaky shots and consider investing in a tripod to give a more professional quality to your Vine video. 

4. Make a unique profile on Vine. Initially, Vine, will use your Twitter profile but you can change your Vine profile to make it specific to your target audience. Your profile needs concise words that Vine users can type into the site to find you. Would you click on the profile you created? If not, regroup and redo. 

5. Your profile picture should capture attention. This photo will appear at the top of your Vine page and in search results. People are more likely to click on it if it catches their eye. Your book cover is fine, as long as it’s colorful and bold, but will it intrigue people to click on it?

6. Hashtags, yes hashtags, use them. Hashtags draw new visitors to Vine and ultimately you and your book. Use hashtags that will draw readers to your Vine. Choose hashtags readers would use rather than terms that advertise your book.

7. Provide something for those who find you. In promoting your book, it’s important to provide something of value to Vine users, for free. Direct them to your website for free writers' tools or a free preview chapter or novella they can read. It will make you stand apart.

8. Watch what works for other authors. As you first log into Vine the editor's picks will appear. Watch the highlighted Vine members and pay attention to what appears to be working for them.

Then create your own successful Vine. 

Once you experiment with Vine you can expand to the Southern Writers Magazine's, Must Read TV. 

Stomp those vine grapes, like Lucy, turn your book Vine into a book trailer making it a sweet success for you and your book. 

What's Your Caption?

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Writers, put your helmet on and jump on your training wheeled bike and share your caption.

My caption..."Life is a Coaster, strap on your helmet and enjoy the ride."

Banned Book Week, Thank A Librarian

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Last week was Banned Books Week. Have you read a banned book? Do you know that this week highlights books that have been challenged or banned and was launched in 1982? Yes, 1982 just 32 years ago, not the 1950's, as I originally thought. 

My research indicates Banned Books Week evolved because of a wavelike number of book challenges in public libraries, schools and even bookstores. Since 1982 over 11,300 books have been banned or challenged. Most challenges are from a small group of individuals who want to limit the public's ability to make up their own minds. Are you worried, yet?

The AmericanLibrary Association, provides information about the book challenges. One of the most alarming statements from the ALA website is "a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice."

Last week, Turner Classic Movies ran a 1956 Bette Davis movie I had never seen before called "Storm Center". Click this link to see a movie clip from "Storm Center". The story is about Davis character, Alicia Hull, a widowed small town librarian, whose passion was introducing children to the joy of reading. The city council asks her to withdraw a book entitled, "The Communist Dream" from the library's collection. She initially agrees in order to get a children's library wing built, and then after consideration refuses to comply with their demand. She is fired and branded as a subversive and was somewhat shunned by her small town. After watching this movie, I discovered the screenplay writers, Daniel Taradash (also the director) and Elick Moll based their movie on a real librarian's experience. Miss Ruth Brown was dismissed from her position at the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Public Library and never reinstated in 1950. 

As Alicia Hull character states in the movie, "I couldn't remove a book because it has ideas you didn't like. Gentleman, you want me to take this book out of the library you ought to fight to keep it on the shelves."

A number of my friends are librarians and have a love for books, all books. I know that they, thankfully, have the heart of a "Ruth Brown" and "Alicia Hull". As writers, we need to remember that librarians put our books on the shelves. Often they defend our books if a challenge arises. So stop and thank a librarian today. 

Thank you librarians, everywhere.

Let Me Count the Ways

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Today, September 12th, is the 255th day of the year. On this date in 1846, Elizabeth Barrett eloped with Robert Browning. 

Their marriage union forever left their mark on the written word. Her prose in Sonnet #10 — How Do I Love Thee? is, well, a classic. Elizabeth Barrett Browning knew how to write to a soul mate.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death."---By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The newlyweds, after eloping, left England and settled in Florence, Italy. Elizabeth's health improved in Italy. Their son, nicknamed "Pen", was born in 1849. Elizabeth's,"Sonnets from the Portuguese", was published in 1850. The sonnets are a depiction of the couple's courtship and marriage. Elizabeth died in 1861 in the arms of her husband. Their Florentine home, Casa Guidi, has been preserved by "The Browning Society". After Elizabeth's death, Robert returned to England with their son. Robert published "The Ring and the Book", a 12 volume poem about an actual 17th century murder trial in Rome, was published in 1868.

Can you imagine if these two writers had not found each other? 

Do You Have An Algonquin Round Table Circle?

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

"The Vicious Circle" members as they called themselves, met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel in the Rose Room at, you guessed it, a round table. The year was 1919. The collaboration lasted almost ten years. They engaged in clever wordplay and wisecracking witticisms. Through the newspaper columns of Round Table members, their lunch discussions were reported across the country in a time when the latest celebrity gossip was not available on the Google homepage but was found in newspapers.

Membership was not official or fixed, many moved in and out of the Circle. The Algonquin Round Table included the following members: Franklin Pierce Adams, columnist; Robert Benchley, humorist and actor; Heywood Broun, columnist and sportswriter; Marc Connelly, playwright; Ruth Hale,  freelance writer who worked for women's rights (married to Heywood Broun); George S. Kaufman, playwright and director; Beatrice Kaufman, editor and playwright (married to George S. Kaufman); Dorothy Parker, critic, poet, short-story writer, and screenwriter; Harold Ross, "The New Yorker" editor; Jane Grant, journalist and feminist (married to Ross); Robert E. Sherwood, author and playwright; John Peter Toohey, publicist; Alexander Woollcott, critic and journalist; Tallulah Bankhead, actress; Joseph Cookman, journalist and drama critic (married to Mary Bass); Edna Ferber, author and playwright; Margalo Gillmore, actress; Margaret Leech, writer and historian; Neysa McMein, magazine illustrator; Harpo Marx, comedian and film star; Alice Duer Miller, writer; Donald Ogden Stewart, playwright and screenwriter; Frank Sullivan, journalist and humorist; Deems Taylor, composer; Estelle Winwood, actress; Peggy Wood, actress and there may have been more.

Wow, what an impressive group of creative thinkers and artists made up this group. The members had much success, but it was for this specific time and place. Talk about the value networking. It was a golden time for these writers. They produced some of their best work during these years. Wouldn't you have liked to have been an attendee to one of their luncheons? 

Edna Ferber, the author of Show Boat and Giant said she realized "The Algonquin Round Table Circle" was gone when she arrived for lunch one day in 1932, and found their famous round table occupied by tourists, a family from Kansas. Ms. Ferber wrote her Pulitzer Prize winning book, So Big and many other books and stories during the height of the group’s daily meetings. It makes me wonder how many ideas bantered around the Rose Room found their way onto the pages of her novels and all the other writer members. Often writers' groups wane as members move toward other venues and that was the case with "The Vicious Circle." Its time had come and gone but the repartee among them forever influenced their future work.

Writers' groups can be a wonderfully supportive and an expanding experience for any writer at any stage in his/her career. However, if you have a bad experience with a writers' group, you may need to keep searching for a more inclusive group. Look for a group that offers consistent instruction on the craft of writing, the business of writing, paired with opportunities to expand and showcase the members' individual talents.

Think Ahead As Your Character Develops

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director For Southern Writers Magazine

Recently, I reviewed a brochure from my cell phone provider. It listed wonderful apps for any smart phone or tablet. These were broken down by professions and as luck would have it included suggestions for "writers" apps. 

One app shown in the brochure sounded great for outlining characters on the go and it was free. I immediately picked up my tablet and downloaded. However, after the download a screen came up, stating the app company would no longer have support for this app after August 30. What? To quote a Queen Song, "Another One Bites The Dust". 

I'm sure the cell provider brochure was printed a couple of months ago prior to the mail-out to customers but the facts in the brochure should have been checked before going to print. App companies don't stop supporting their product overnight so someone didn't check the facts before having brochure copy printed and then mailed. 

This experience made my mind drift to authors books set in the past and how careful they have to be in checking their facts on the era. Author, Sue Grafton developed her Alphabet Mystery Series, with protagonist, Kinsey Millhone, a P.I. who lives in the 1980's before Internet and cell phones. With her starting book, A is For Alibi, Kinsey is 32 and it's May 1982 the same date the book was published. This date setting gives readers an appreciation for the difficulties of a PI's job, pre-Internet days. These are the times before "Google it" was the verb of today. 

If you are writing a series, you need to determine how your character will age or not. Grafton's B is for Burglar takes place in June/July of 1982, C is for Corpse takes place in August 1982. Grafton developed her series character to age in slow time not real time. "C" was published in 1986.

Thinking ahead was brilliant character development by Grafton. Her latest book, W is forWasted will release in September. If Grafton had not frozen Kinsey in the 1980's era instead of being a 30-something private investigator, she would be of social security age at 63 in present day. Her delightful relationship with her 80 plus year old landlord Henry wouldn't be part of the book in real time. Kinsey Millhone at 63 would not have the same energy, attributes or flaws that keep millions of fans craving the next Kinsey mystery adventure.

As the picture on the right shows, Princess Diana holding the heir to the throne, Prince William born in 1982. Thirty-one years later the picture on the left shows Prince William and Princess Kate with their own Prince in 2013. Think about this picture as you decide how your main character needs to age or not in your book series.

As readers it's about the interaction of characters not are they aging as we do. Writers’ development of characters and human nature as it unfolds in the pages of a book is what keeps us reading until the very last word. 

Marilyn Monroe Dialogue

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers 

This week in 1962, Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36. I recently watched the new HBO documentary, "Love, Marilyn" and was struck by how little I knew about Marilyn. It is a unique insight based on the boxes of Monroe’s own writings that were discovered just a few years ago. Marilyn was also an avid reader and read the textbook, "The Thinking Body," by Mabel Elsworth Todd. Based on this book, she developed her signature "Marilyn Monroe" walk.

My favorite role of Marilyn Monroe is her breakout 1953 film noir movie, "Niagara," in the role of Rose Loomis opposite Joseph Cotton, who stars as her husband, George Loomis.

My attraction to this movie is two-fold. I love a mystery especially when it unfolds quickly and maintains a number of twists and turns. The movie has a beautiful setting at Niagara Falls hence the name, "Niagara." Rose Loomis appears supportive concerned wife of a WWII veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. As every mystery fan knows, looks can be deceiving. A honeymoon couple staying at the Rainbow Cabins gets wrapped up in the Loomis couple's problems, and of course, a murder occurs. 

Dialogue in "Niagara" is the perfect balance of sass and spunk with some memorable lines. The screenwriters were Charles William Brackett; who also wrote Sunset Boulevard, Richard L. Breen, who also wrote the 1953 "Titanic," and Walter Reisch, who also wrote "Gaslight." These men knew how to write snappy stylish believable dialogue.  

Here are a few of my favorite movie quotes from "Niagara:"

[First movie line, voiceover as we watch him at the base of the Falls]
George Loomis: Why should the Falls drag me down here at 5 o'clock in the morning? To show me how big they are and how small I am? To remind me they can get along without any help? All right, so they've proved it. But why not? They've had ten thousand years to get independent. What's so wonderful about that? I suppose I could too, only it might take a little more time.

And
[Upon seeing Rose Loomis in a low-cut, tight-fitting fuchsia pink dress]
Ray Cutler: Hey, get out the firehose! Why don't you ever get a dress like that?
Polly Cutler: Listen. For a dress like that, you've got to start laying plans when you're about thirteen.

And
George Loomis: Parading around showing herself off in that dress. Cut down so low in the front you could see her kneecaps. 
Polly Cutler: Stunning. 
Geroge Loomis: Would you wear it?
Polly Cutler: I'm not the kneecap type. She's a pretty girl why hide it?

And  
George Loomis: Let me tell you something. You're young, you're in love. Well, I'll give you a warning. Don't let it get out of hand, like those falls out there. Up above... d'you ever see the river up above the falls? It's calm, and easy, and you throw in a log, it just floats around. Let it move a little further down and it gets going faster, hits some rocks, and... in a minute it's in the lower rapids, and... nothing in the world - including God himself, I suppose - can keep it from going over the edge. It just goes.
Polly Cutler: Don't worry. I'm one of those logs that just hang around in the calm.

When you have trouble crafting believable dialogue, flip on a movie with quick smart dialogue. It will help bring dialogue to your pages and authenticity to your characters, while moving your story forward. 

As your female character walks away from her love interest, just think of your character's repartee and describe the way your character walked away. Remember Marilyn Monroe's walk in "Niagara" attempting to walk across the borders of the United States and Canada. 

Sashay on!