3/9/22 - Darkest Hour: I watched this movie over the weekend on Netflix. I was struck by how timely it was. This week President Zelenskyy of Ukraine used Churchill’s speech at the end of the movie, to speak to the UK Parliament. It feels like history is repeating itself, that this is Ukraine’s Darkest Hour. Will our leaders act like Churchill who pushed to keep fighting, or will they act more like Neville Chamberlain? If you haven’t heard of him, he’s the one who gave away Czechoslovakia and Poland, who wanted to negotiate peace with Hitler. This is my 2nd time watching this movie, but I’ll watch it one more time . . . because there’s so much historical detail. And so much heart. These are Amazon’s Description of the movie’s Key Historical Figures, along with their biographies. I hope you read and discover who led the UK successfully through WWII, Churchill or Lord Halifax? If you want to go a little further, who is today’s Churchill? And, today’s Halifax/Neville Chamberlain? PS - The movie is in COLOR! Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) A longtime member of parliament, Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain in May of 1940 as Nazi troops are spreading across Europe. As the battlefront nears closer to England and with the entire British Army trapped at Dunkirk, he is immediately faced with a daunting choice: attempt a peace treaty with the Nazis to save his citizens or rally the war-weary nation behind the continued fight against tyranny. Clementine Churchill (Kristin Scott Thomas) Churchill's wife of 31 years at the time is both his emotional support and his intellectual equal. His adored 'Clemmie' is his most trusted confidante as well as critic, and is essential in helping him shape his strategic policy. King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) King George reluctantly appoints Churchill to Prime Minister in May of 1940 as the threat of a Nazi invasion of Great Britain looms. Elizabeth Layton (Lily James) Elizabeth is Churchill's extremely loyal and attentive secretary. She begins working for him early in his appointment to Prime Minister as he writes several extremely important speeches crucial to bolstering the morale and patriotism of the public as the war rages on. Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane) Lord Halifax is Foreign Secretary of the U.K. when Churchill is appointed Prime Minister. Not trusting Churchill's instincts, he advocates for negotiating a peace treaty with Germany at odds with Churchill's belief that any treaty would endanger the U.K.'s sovereignty and would radically change the balance of power throughout Europe.
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Since Covid reared its head in 2020, we’ve all endured so much. Now that Covid’s waning, there’s something else to endure . . . the Ukraine. It hurts to watch the news. I endure by praying, by keeping the faith, and by doing what I can for the people around me. So here’s my newest post – 3 quotes from 3 people. They endured, and we can too. When I look at this photo, I see endurance . . . living in a wheelchair, the rehabilitation they’ve gone through, and the workouts to build strength. This is what endurance looks like. Quote #1 – At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. Who said it? Frida Kahlo Below are two images of Frida. The first was taken by her father in 1932. Frida was 25. The second is a self-portrait Frida painted in 1940 at age 33. Frida endured more than most people can dream of. At age 6 she got polio. It changed her forever. Her right leg was shorter and thinner than her left one. She had to be isolated from her classmates for months, and kids can be mean. Frida almost died in a bus accident when she was 18. An iron handrail sliced through her body. Her friends pulled it out. Can you imagine the pain she endured? Or your spine broken in 3 places, your leg in 11, and your foot crushed and dislocated? It took her 3 months to get back to work, but Frida was never the same again. The accident took away her dreams to become a doctor, and later a mom. They gave her pain, illness, and surgeries for the rest of her life. A friend said she “lived dying,” but she endured. She found another dream in her art. When she couldn’t sit or stand, she rigged an easel over her bed so she could paint. You can find braces and hospital beds in her work. She not only endured. She used her pain to grow as an artist. Sources: Frida’s Quote: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes Her Self-Portrait: By Frida Kahlo - Lloyd, Brigitte Gastel. "Portrait of the Artists". artroots.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3518151 Information: Frida Kahlo - Wikipedia Quote #2 – Ruptures almost always lead to a stronger project. Who said it? Anne Carson This is Anne’s photograph from Amazon. She’s hard to find. Anne is a very private person. She’s also a college professor who’s been teaching the classics, comparative literature, and creative writing in the US and Canada since 1979. Anne specializes in teaching and translating the classics from Ancient Greece and Rome. She also works with more modern writers like Emily Bronte and Virginia Woolf. They’re all part of her teaching and writing. Anne loves to mix different kinds of writing together, from poetry to essay, from fiction to nonfiction. She likes to collaborate with singers, dancers, and visual artists. I’ve never read her work, but she must have a style all her own. Mixing and collaborating made Anne’s work unique, but it also led to problems. That’s when she switched gears and did something new. When she returned, the problem had worked itself out. Ruptures happen all the time – to balls and fingers and pipelines. Have you heard a bone heals back together stronger than it used to be? It’s true for me and my work, and for anyone who has endurance. Quote #3 – What do you do when there's nowhere to turn? You drive straight ahead. Who said it? Leslie Gordon Meet Leslie Gordon, her husband Scott Berns, and their son Sam. They got the news he had progeria in the summer of 1998. Sam was 22 months old, but it meant he’d age rapidly and die by age 14. Leslie and Scott specialized in pediatric medicine, but they discovered little was known about progeria. That there was little support for their family. With nowhere to go, they started their own research foundation to fill in the gap. The Progeria Foundation has learned a great deal since 1998. They discovered the gene that caused it. Produced medicines that give children an extra 2 ½ years of life. They’re working at the DNA level to edit the genes that cause progeria. Without Leslie, Scott, and Sam, none of this would have happened. Sam Berns died in 2014. He lived three extra years thanks to the foundation. I listened to his 2013 TED Talk. It’s incredible! It’s about his philosophy to live a happy life. He found it in the important things, like band and good friends. Here’s to the road ahead. There are problems out there, but we can face them, like Leslie, Scott, and Sam did. Who knows what we’ll discover? The possibilities are endless. For every problem we endure, something good can come out of it. Sources Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes Our Story | The Progeria Research Foundation How DNA 'base editing' could help doctors target rare genetic diseases - CGTN (195) My philosophy for a happy life | Sam Berns | TEDxMidAtlantic - YouTube Are there things you’re afraid of? Me, ABSOLUTELY! Some people say fear can be a good thing – that it signals danger. Warnings about them are good things, unless they make you freeze. I have three big fears, and sometimes I see them and freeze. I don’t take action when I should. Tonight – one of my biggest fears from the 1990’s and early 2000’s – getting lost. Part 1 – Get Lost! In the 1990’s and 2000’s this was my biggest fear – getting lost. It terrified me. I felt like I was lost in a maze, without a clue to my location. People told me where I was, but it meant nothing. It just increased my frustration . . . because I was still lost. Sometimes maps help! Sometimes they don’t! Maps are great if you can find your location, then figure out where to go. But when you can’t . . . URGH! Then I feel like the second maze . . . frozen! I can’t move. Not one footstep. Sometime in the 2000’s that fear disappeared . . . Why? GPS . . . Also known as GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM. Oh My Gosh! It was a game changer! My fear vanished! Even if I messed up, GPS would always take me to the right address until . . . 3 years ago. The unexpected happened. I had a rental car with no GPS. I had my phone – so I thought I was OK. NOT! My phone went dead somewhere on the back roads of Tennessee. I was following I40 East to Knoxville when my GPS took me onto those back roads. Then it died. I recognized a few towns, but I couldn’t figure out for the life of me how to get to I75. I was in the middle of farm country. I even saw a moose laying down in a field. He was HUGE – even sitting down. I was literally 30-45 minutes away from the lake house, but I didn’t get there till 2 hours later. I tried all kinds of ways to get myself redirected. My solution . . . I stopped at a gas station for directions. It took 3 tries before I found someone who could tell me how to get to I75. The good news . . . I finally got home, but the best news . . . I no longer fear getting lost. As long as I have my phone and my mouth, I can find my way home, even if I get lost in a German school . . . That really happened. I WAS SO scared! I didn’t even know how to say lost or help in German, but it all worked out. Some kind soul took me to the teacher in charge of the sister cities program. I was found! Facing your fears and surviving them is freeing! Part 2 – Fear of Failure: I didn’t worry about school failure until middle school. It was easy for me. I was an A/B student. My first C came in 7th grade on an English worksheet. I teared up. The kids around me wondered why I was upset . . . a C was OK. By the time I got a C in high school physics (so hard), I was grateful! Sports, now that was a different ball game, and I was terrible at it! Girls started softball in 4th grade in the 60’s. I was horrible at bat, horrible in the field. I was afraid of failing everytime I tried to bat, every time I tried to catch a ball . . . there was a good reason the coach put me in left field. I only did baseball for 1 year. That was enough! Even now I just want to duck when something flies my way. Sports are not for me! This could be me when I was in college. I had a couple classes where the professor commented on my first test, my first paper. They said I’d done a great job, and that they looked forward to the next one. OMG! The FEAR of FAILURE! I never did as well on the next paper. Fear fueled the result. But once I got through it, would you believe I did better on the third, because I wasn’t worried? I could just be me and do the work. Sometimes I look like this when I’m writing. I stare into space, at my computer, at the pictures on Pixabay. I’m trying to find the words I need to write about them, but I’m frozen. I can’t move forward, and I feel like a failure. Sometimes I can force the words to come. But sometimes I have to do the braver thing – stop. Then try again later. It’s not a failure – it’s me giving my brain a rest. That’s what I did when I tried to write part 2 of this post. I kept trying to write. Then I kept changing the pictures around. Finally, I stopped! And tonight, it was easy-peasy! What’s hard for me to write? Either a brand-new story, or something about my writing business. I’ve been writing since 2007. I have enough practice to know when to force my words, and when I need to stop for a brain break. That’s how I push away those ‘F’ words – Fear and Frustration. Part 3 – Fear of the Unknown: This one has been with me as long as I can remember. New things . . . New places . . . New people . . . They’re all scary. Like crossing the road on a foggy day and hoping that you won’t get hit by a car. Have you ever scheduled a great vacation, but when it gets close, you just want to stay home? It’s easier, and you don’t have to worry about things going wrong, but, no risk – no gain. My dad was like that pre-trip, but he always went, and everything turned out fine. I still get those feelings, but I force myself past them, like dad did. Usually things work out, but when they don’t, I learn something new, and that’s always a good thing! Do you ever feel anxious when you meet new people, like the first day of school? I did . . . I always hoped I’d see a friendly face across the room. It made everything easier! In junior high, kids and classes changed every hour. That didn’t stop until I finished college. Did you know teachers feel as anxious as their students? The kids who come in the door affect the year we’ll have. Most kids are great. That’s why I taught for 33 years, and it’s why I still sub. Did a blank page ever scare you as a kid? Sometimes teachers put questions around them. Filling them in with good ideas can be hard. I never worried about those blanks until college. That’s when an essay question almost sank my boat. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t remember it. I went blank, totally! I didn’t know what to do, but the clock was ticking. I started writing. I rephrased the question, then kept going. I wrote around the answer, trying to put down everything I could think of, coherently. It worked! I answered the question, and I didn’t bomb the test! When I first started writing, I didn’t think about blank pages. Maybe because the first story I wrote happened to me. I held a bat on a mop in Germany, but I didn’t think it was enough of a story, that I was enough of a writer . . . so I added in Herman the German. He defeated three Roman legions in the year 9AD. Today it would be like the Ukranians taking out three Russian divisions. Good luck, Ukraine! I didn’t have a blank page then, but I had the beginning and an idea for the end. I just needed to figure out the middle. No Problem! I found it by thinking cause/effect. When I finished, I had something good, but I also had tons of mistakes, the kind brand-new writers make. Now that I’m a published author, I still start with the beginning and the end. They’ll change, but it’s a start. No blank page! I still use cause/effect, but I’ve learned to think in acts – three. The main character will try to solve the problem all the way through, but things get worse each time. By Act 3 and that 3rd try, the main character is ready to quit. That’s when something changes, and the story comes to a close. It sounds easy, but it’s messy. It takes work, and multiple tries, multiple critiques. But when you get it right - success is sweet! Part 4 – Four Fears I Live Without: First up . . . aging! I have never had a problem with decade birthdays like 30, 40, 50, even 60. I’m lucky . . . I’m named after my grandmother, Rinda. I knew she died young so I always felt grateful to live through each decade birthday. I never met my grandmother, but she made aging easy. I’m retired now, but I retired to a new career . . . writing. I’m enjoying every minute of my 60’s. Here’s to what the 70’s will bring! Second, I’m a diabetic, type 2. YUCK! Diabetes is an awful disease that could take away my sight. It could hurt my heart. I never wanted to have it, but it’s been a part of me since the day I was born. I found out in my 50’s. I’m lucky! I live in an age where diabetes can be controlled. Diet and exercise used to work, but it’s a hard disease to beat. You think it’s under control, and then it breaks free. Now I test myself each day. My numbers guide me on what to eat and what to skip. I also control them with medicine. I take two pills and a shot each day. They allow me to live and enjoy my life! Third, I’m a daughter of Alzheimer’s. It took my dad away from me. First his brain, then the rest of him. I always look for silver linings. When dad had to go into a nursing home, I was his Peter Pan. When he saw things that weren’t there, I played along and believed him. Everyone needs to be believed. I found another silver lining as the disease took over his body. It was hard to see him stop walking and talking, but dad didn’t know it was happening. I think it made it easier for him to leave this world behind. If dementia claims me, I’m glad there will be a few silver linings. And finally, death. Over the last 7 years my husband and I have said goodbye to our parents. It was hard, but as a Christian, I believe they’re in a better place, with the people they loved. Someday, I believe that will happen to me too. Have you noticed that fears shrink when you face them, like the bullies they are? My best advice – face your fear. Then make a plan to beat it. Test-drive that plan. If it doesn’t work, then come up with a new one. Here’s to us, facing our fears! Part 1 – What is Storystorm? What were a lot of writers doing during January? Storystorm! If you’ve never heard of it, you’re in the right place tonight! Storystorm is the Brainchild of Tara Lazar. She’s a famous picture book author who writes funny books. Her blog name even cracks me up – Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). I had an idea when my kids were young, and I never tried to write that story. Writing, raising and teaching kids was too hard for me, but now I have time. This is the third year I’ve done Storystorm so I have 90 ideas waiting in my computer for me. I also have lots of others that I collected pre-Storystorm. So how does Storystorm work? First you have to sign up. It’s a great way to start writing, and to keep going. Sorry, it’s January . . . so you’ll have to wait until next year. During Storystorm, each day a different writer does a column with a theme for coming up with new ideas. Your job – to find that idea. Part 2 – Day 2 Ideas: This year Tara didn’t lead off . . . She let Tammi Sauer have that honor. Tara took the 2nd day position. Her post was all about absurd words. So is her newest book! Isn’t absurd a lovely word?! My job – to find a word or two that might lead to a story. My 1st word - supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I’ve loved it since Mary Poppins. Every year I used it on my 2nd graders when we started writing and spelling. The idea was to teach them to sound things out. Their mouths dropped open every year when I wrote it. Now – to figure out how to use it in a story. This is my second word. I’m wondering how I can use the homonyms steakout and stakeout. One is a real word. Detectives do stakeouts all the time. They do them to investigate their cases, to find out who did it. The other steak-out could be a lot of fun to play with. My job – to figure out how to use it in a story. Part 3 – Ideas from Day 10: Katey Howe caught my attention – she wanted to plant seeds, but not the garden variety. She was talking about old ideas that never sprouted. The illustration below is a seed that bloomed . . . BE A MAKER. Katey found a way to tell the story of people who make things – from chefs to writers to engineers. Makers! My job – to prepare a seed or two for planting. My 1st old seed – green beans from 2nd grade. Would you believe they got me in trouble? I always thought I should write that story, but I never tried. Maybe, 2022 is the year to plant that seed! My 2nd old seed – Neil Armstrong. I published a book about him and his wind tunnel dream in 2019, but there was another story. It tempted me to write it first, but I decided the wind tunnel was the stronger story. Now Neil’s seed is calling me, asking me to water it, to let it grow. Part 4 – Ideas from Day 21: I was so excited to see Valerie Boiling come up for Day 21. I know her! Well, a little. We talked via email when her first book was coming out, and I was thrilled to be one of her 1st readers and reviewers. Valerie’s advice – channel your inner child. Remember who you were back then . . . carefree, silly, and curious. My job – PLAY! Then find a few ideas! This should be easy for me . . . I’ve spent my whole life around kids, first as a student and then as a teacher. I still substitute so I can hang out in Munchkin land. I love the way they think! A third grader once asked if I’d written a dinosaur book. I hung my head, but I started picking out Dinos. Then I got stuck. Maybe those Dinos will find me this year! I’m a principal’s daughter. I always thought there was a story there somewhere, but I never found my way in. Maybe if I channel my inner child or ask the right Munchkin, I’ll find that story!
It depends! On whether I’m picking them out at the library, or buying them online. Some things are the same, but some things are different. Part 1 – Picking Library Books: If you take a look at my newest picks, I bet you can figure out why they called me. They said take us home. Take a guess what they said . . . then check to see if you’re right! When I go to the library, I wander through the shelves, but I only look at the new picture books. They’re displayed at each end of a row of shelves. I might pick a book or two on that first lap, but I might not. What do I look at? The titles and the covers! They invite me to pick them up, or ignore them. Occasionally I look at the back, or the inside flap to see what they’re about, but mostly I use that front cover to make my decision. I picked Don’t Hug Doug because I like Carrie Finison. I’ve read a couple of her books, and I like the way she thinks. I picked Bright Star because I’ve met the author Yuyi Morales on a zoom class or two. I’ve also read a few of her books, and I liked them. I also loved their covers. Daniel Wiseman made the title big and bold. He added Doug beside his name. It’s nice and simple, and it tells me what it will be about. Yuyi’s cover intrigued me with its deer and cactus. I know it will focus on them, and I’m willing to pick it up to find out what’s at stake for them. With my other two picks, the title and the cover made me pick them up and take them home. For Henry at Home, I liked the two kids on the cover, and I wondered what was going on between them. I must have been missing home because I picked another book about it. The title, A Home Again, and the tiny red house made me curious. Curiosity is a good thing when it comes to book covers. PS – when I finish reading each book, I add the title and author to my reading journal. I record what I liked and what I didn’t. They may/may not appear on My Reads. The best way to get a review is by matching up with the subject of my blog posts. There are books I read years ago that I loved, but never got to put on My Reads. If I sort of like a book/didn’t like it, I will never ever put it up. A bad review is devastating to the ego, but, it can also destroy a book’s chance to succeed and find readers like you. Part 2 – Picking Books Online: I can’t look at real books online so I shop at Amazon. These came up when I clicked Kindle titles. They’re based on my browsing and purchasing history. These books popped up first. I’ve read all three authors, but the one that’s calling me is the third one, The Jane Seymour Conspiracy. I’ve already read the other 3 books in the series. The second book is from Alison Weir. I have her series on the six wives of Henry the VIII, except for his last one, Catherine Parr. She’s calling me back. I’ll pass on Jeff Wheeler for now, but his Druid is tempting. I love historical fiction! Here’s the next row from Amazon. It’s Young Adult fantasy. I’ve had Harry Potter, the ‘real’ books for years. I don’t know K.M. Shea, but the cover isn’t calling me. I am curious about the books by Emily R. King. She has 2 series that came out after The Hundredth Queen. I’ll look at the titles, descriptions, and ratings to see if I want to check them out. Shanna Swendson came up, big time on my search list! She has more titles on my kindle than any other author. I found 5 here, plus 2 more! Before I pick any of them, I’ll check the titles, descriptions, and ratings to decide. This also came up on my search. I’ve never heard of Gaslamp Fantasy before, but here’s the Wikipedia definition – it’s a subgenre of both fantasy and historical fiction. It’s usually set in Victorian or Edwardian England. It fits – I love fantasy and historical fiction.
If I don’t see what I’m looking for, I keep searching. I check my favorite categories, my favorite authors, but I only buy, if I like the description and ratings. I want to know what other readers think about that story. November of 2021 is when I started reading for other reasons. I did it to help my writing. I was trying to find a way to revise my 2nd bat story. I saved it in my computer back in 2011, and now a decade later I pulled it out. I’m only sharing the books I picked as mentors, and I’m cutting out the parts that don’t apply to the bat story. Here’s the link if you’d like to read from those titles. Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach Part 1 - Me as a Reader, and a Writer – This is me, at a book event. I’m not just a reader anymore . . . I’m a writer. It changed the way I read, the way I write. Reading and writing are like opposite sides of the same coin. They work together. I wrote my 2nd bat story ten years ago, and I haven’t touched it since. I pulled up the first chapter last week and revised it. It was easy . . . I’ve grown as a writer in the last ten years. My critique partners said I needed to push the characters, but I knew that. Ten years ago they were flat, and they still are. I was surprised that a couple people thought I should grow the story, a lot. I didn’t see the potential, last week. This week I outlined my five chapters (I designed it as an easy chapter book) and sent it in . . . The response was universal! I need to grow this story . . . it’s way bigger than my original plot. I knew I needed to up the stakes and add complexity, but now I know . . . if I want this story to find its own depth, I need to let it grow. To become more than I can imagine now. WOW! After I finished my critique group, I didn’t know where to turn, where to find ideas. Then I remembered that books have always been my mentors so I found it. My next read is imaginative, creative, and a fantasy. It’s a great place to start rebuilding my story. I also thought I should look at fractured fairy tales, fantasies with princesses and witches. Maybe even bats and bugs. Here’s to my new voyage, and however long it takes! Here’s to the new series – The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Part 2 – The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, plus a few PSs: Most of my book posts are about my reaction to the book and the plot. The PSs are where I wrote my thoughts about revising my bat story. Book 1 - PPS – I’m three days in, and dragon magic is working! I moved the setting from Lienen to Tecklenburg. It has history and atmosphere, from the ruins of an old German castle to the Teutoberg Forest where Herman the German battled ancient Rome. My story’s grandmother changed too. The bats called her a witch in the old version. Now I think making her into a real one, opens a world of possibilities. I also changed her granddaughter’s name from Hannah to Anna, because a real Countess Anna lived in Tecklenburg Castle. She didn’t want witches burned, and my grandma and her Anna won’t either. Imagine what I can do with that angle! Finally, I did some research and picked out one kind of bat. I also discovered that all bats need help. Did you know they’re in danger worldwide because of wind farms? In Germany too! I read that if they turned the fans off when bats are out, it would save their lives! AND we’d only lose 1% of the power wind farms produce. WOW! Who knew this book could get my juices going and fill my head with ideas? WAHOO! Book 2 - PS – I decided to rewrite/revise my bat story with the original five chapters. I need to explore it first before I look for ways to grow it. I believe in story magic, and I’m willing to let it take me wherever my story is meant to go. Book 3 – Time for the December Book Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach PS – I just finished the first two chapters of my bat book. The witch’s part is the most fun to write. It all started with a throwaway line in the 2011 version. A bat thought that the grandmother was a witch. Originally I said she was a nice old lady, but this time I decided to play with it. I’m having so much fun that I can’t wait to see where that witch takes me! Book 4 - PS – My critique partners said the 1st two chapters are heading the right way. Their biggest piece of advice – GROW THAT PLOT! I’m working on it, but I’ll finish the last three chapters of the almost original story first. Then . . . I’m moving the story across the ocean to my lake in Tennessee. That’s the setting where I’ll work to imagine the fantasy, I believe it can be. Part 3 – A Witch, Three Queens, and a Sorcerer – Follow me through the next 5 books. As I read each one, I left myself notes about where the bat story should go. December Book Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach William - PS – I picked this story because I need to reimagine my bat story. It’s keeping me in the middle grade range, but I haven’t found the perfect path to stretch it out. I think the witch character is the right way to go, but I think I need to look into some bat lore to help me push my story farther. Here’s to my new quest! Three Queens – I wrote this when I started reading the Hundredth Queen, and it’s what I noticed through the whole series . . . I’m interested in how the author created the Tarachand Empire based on ancient Sumeria. Think pre-Babylonia! That’s exactly what I need to do for my bat fantasy. To create a new world for them. The only problem . . . I can’t picture it yet, but reading this book gives me a sense of the kind of major world building that I need to do for those bats! Somewhere in my subconscious, I hope, I’m weaving this world together, bit by bit, character by character. Harry Potter, My Writing Mentor - I’m still reading the Hundredth Queen series to look at world building, but my mentor suggested I look at Harry Potter for my bat book. Why? She thinks the tone and complexity are what my story needs. I’ve worked with her since 2018, and I trust her advice. Harry Potter – that sounded so intimidating until I wrapped my head around it. I don’t have to write 800 pages or sound like J.K. I’ll write my story, and I’ll follow Harry’s footprints. Not exactly, but in a way that fits my bats and 2 humans. Reading Harry as a mentor text is different than reading it for fun. It’s like taking a road trip. You read as fast as you can and enjoy the scenery. But now that Harry’s my teacher, I read a chapter at a time, then take notes. I’m looking at how Jo put the story together, and the elements I want to remember. I just finished chapter 3. Here’s a peek at my notes. Chapter 1 is all about setting the stage – introducing the setting and characters. Jo doesn’t show the inciting incident between Harry and Voldemort. We’re told about it through the fallout. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on one incident per chapter. Chapter 2 takes place 10 years later, and Jo uses a birthday to show how Harry’s treated in the family. Chapter 3 focuses on a letter, and all of Mr. Dursley’s attempts to keep Harry from reading it. PS – I got stuck on Chapter 4. Harry’s a great mentor text, but he’s not helping me picture my story. Part 4 – One Last Queen and a Spindle - They’re the last two books in my journey, so far. January Book Link: Rinda Beach - Blog - Rinda Beach The Last Queen - I wrote this after I finished The Warrior Queen. It tells you the direction I thought I needed to go with the bat story. The interesting part – I’d forgotten I wrote it . . . I pick my books by author, and I’ll take a look at Emily’s, along with my other favorite authors. It’ll be a while. I have book 1 of Harry Potter to read. Then I’ll skip to another magical book, and it takes place in the Smokies. I have the where for the story, but I need to figure out a problem for my bats to solve. I’m hoping Story Magic will point me down the right path. Fingers crossed! Spindled – This is the first thing I wrote about it . . . Shanna Swendson is one of my favorite authors, and that’s why I picked this book. I’m rereading it to uncover details I missed the 1st time through. - And this is how it’s helping me with my bats . . . This book was written for kids aged 11-18. That’s the range I want to hit with my bat story, so this is another good mentor book for me. I’m also happy to announce – there will be a sequel. Dawn’s parents, the true king and queen, are hiding somewhere in east Texas. I can’t wait to read it! Part 5 – What I’m Reading and Writing Now – I’ve never posted this before. It’s new material that I put together, just for this post. Writing Now - This week I finished revising the last chapter of my Almost True Bat Story. Next week I’ll hear what my critique partners think about it. The old version’s pretty much what happened to me in 2007 when I held a bat on a mop in Germany . . . Really! What’s interesting is that this new version is still flat, and that’s the same comment an editor told me in 2011 . . . so I mothballed it, until now. This weekend I’m going back to Chapter 1 for another round of editing, and I’m changing just ONE THING in the story. I’m moving it from Germany to the US . . . to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. But I decided to change something else– the characters. I’m aging the girl. In the original she was 5-7 years old. Now she’ll be 11-13. That will turn it into a middle grade novel. I’m also making the grandmother a real witch. It was a throw-away line in the original chapter book, but now I’m ready to play with it in the new and improved story. And the bats, they’ll become American of course. Reading Now – Willa of the Wood – This is the book I wrote about in The Warrior Queen. I’ve had it since 2019, but I never read it. I started today, and I’m six chapters in already. It has magic and nature and The Smokies. All the things I wanted to picture for my bats. I’m feeling the magic, that this is the right mentor book. I can’t wait to see where this story, my imagination, and a little research will take me. My Word Power posters started back in 2018. That’s the 1st year I started doing the Twelve Days of Christmas class with Julie Hedlund from 12x12 fame. I joined 12x12 in January of 2019. This is my 4th year with both programs. I have learned so much about me as a writer, and as a person since then. I’m grateful to Julie, and to her programs. Part 1 – Word Power Past: These screenshots came from Pinterest. They’re like class yearbooks from The Twelve Days of Christmas program. If you’d like to take a look at Julie’s class, click on the link for 2018. It will show you day by day, how to look back at last year, and how to look ahead to the new one. Give it a little twist, and it can work for you and your job. The other 2 links are for the classes I took in 2019 and 2020. The goals are for the new year. Class 2018 – http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/the-twelve-days-of-the-new-year Class 2019 – http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/january-20th-2020 (2020 goals) Class 2020 – http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/use-your-word-power-rinda-beach (2021 goals) This is a screenshot of this year’s Word Power, 2022. Part 2 – Keep Us Going: When I put my first poster together, I had 3 things to keep going. They’re still here at the top of my poster, and they’re still the foundation for my writing. The 12 x 12 Writers Group – It’s where I go for writing classes, where I can search for things from agents to mentor books, and where I can find people like me. I’ve been a member since 2018, Rindabeach.com – It’s my home online. It’s where I write 5 out of 7 nights. I’m either writing my blog each night or a book review. On my 2 nights off, I’m either putting up an ad or a video. It’s the best place to go to meet me as a person, and as a writer. It’s been my home online since November of 2016, The Writing Magic Membership Group – It’s my writing home where I have friends, critique partners, and mentors. They’ve helped me publish 3 books and complete the agent challenge. They help me, and I help them. Home! Marketing – This is how I build my brand, to introduce myself to people like you. It’s the reason I started rindabeach.com. I’ve written over 380 posts and 280 book reviews so far, and I’m still writing both each week. You can find them on Pinterest, or you can email and ask for content. I love to write! I love to answer questions! I started doing videos of my blog posts so that you can meet me onscreen. I’m up to 32 this week. You can find them on (3) Rinda Beach | Facebook, or you can email and ask me. I love finding content for you! The Agent Challenge – It’s finished! Now I’m waiting for the answer. I’ll either sign on the dotted line, or I’ll keep looking for that agent. I didn’t realize till last week, that the answer I get will determine the kind of writing I’ll do. With an agent, I’ll need to focus on national stories with a wide appeal. I’ll probably leave self-publishing behind. Without one, I’ll look for niche markets and regional stories that I can self-publish. Whichever way this goes, I’ll keep writing. I’ve become a writer over the last 14 years, and that’s what I need to do . . . for me . . . and for readers too. Part 3 – What’s New in 2022? – Growing these ideas into picture, chapter, or middle grade stories. 1. The Bat Idea – In 2011 it was an easy chapter book, 5 chapters long. I pulled it out in 2021, updated the first 4 chapters, and now I’m revising #5. The next step – to pivot and turn it into a middle grade novel. 2. The Baby Idea – I did a picture book version last year, and in 2020, but something’s missing. I have a few ideas I want to try out on paper, and with my critique partners. 3. The Frog Idea – I have a picture book/ chapter book version of this idea. The one I return to depends on the agent’s answer. If it’s a yes, it’s the picture book. If it’s a no, I’ll pull the chapter book up again and work to self-publish it. If I get stuck in those ideas, there are others sitting in my computer, waiting to be developed. 4. Ideas to Try – Could a private Facebook group or an account with Teachers Pay Teachers help both of us? Here’s to finding that answer in 2022!
Food comes from all over the world. I picked three classic dishes for this post. Can you guess where they came from? Part 1 – Swedish Meatballs Where did they come from? Sweden looks like the logical answer, but is it? Italy Sweden Turkey Norway Take a look at the map. Then choose the right answer. And the answer is . . . Turkey! I know! I missed it too. In 2018 Sweden’s official Twitter account said that “Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century.” That always confuses me. Early 18th century – that really means the early 1700’s, when America was still a British colony. The meatballs came from Turkish ‘kofte.’ You start with ground beef, lamb, chicken or pork. Mix in some onions and a few spices, and you have kofte. But the Swedes needed a little more flavor – so they added gravy! Everything’s better with gravy! King Charles didn’t stop with those meatballs. He brought home Turkish stuffed cabbages and coffee too. Now coffee’s so popular that Sweden is one of the top coffee-drinking countries in the world. This is how the Swedes eat their meatballs – with mashed potatoes, brown sauce, lingonberry jam, and pickled cucumbers, AKA pickles. Photo Source: By Steffen Wurzel - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1102735 Information Sources: The Telegraph | Date Updated: June 17, 2020 https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer/where-did-swedish-meatballs-originate/XupMYPYObSFJCTQK Part 2 – Coleslaw Coleslaw Where did it come from? Italy Holland Turkey Germany Take a look at the map. Then choose the right answer. And the answer is . . . Holland! Coleslaw came from Holland, AKA the Netherlands. It’s two Dutch words, combined. Kool is cabbage, and sla is their abbreviation for salade. Dutch settlers brought cabbage to New Amsterdam in the 1600’s. It didn’t exist in the New World so the Dutch started growing cabbages along the Hudson River. When they made coleslaw, they drenched it in melted butter and vinegar. Later the British took over the city. They renamed it New York, but they kept the Dutch coleslaw. Coleslaw was on the table in Ancient Rome. They soaked it in vinegar before they ate it. As their Empire spread, so did their cabbage salad, to places like Germany, where they decided to add sour cream to some of their cabbage recipes. Coleslaw is part of restaurant platters from sea to shining sea, but with a small change in the recipe that came from Richard Hellman. He owned a deli in New York, and he bottled mayonnaise. Would you believe his company is still making it for you today? This question came from one of my trivia sites, but I forgot to copy the address. They got the idea for this question from . . . www.wikipedia.org Part 3 – Black Forest Cak Black Forest Cake Where did it come from? Where is The Black Forest? Germany France Romania Bulgaria Take a look at the map. Then choose the right answer. There’s only one Black Forest in the world. I was sure there had to be more, but I googled . . . There’s only one! It’s in the southwestern part of Germany in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. It’s also Germany’s largest continuous forest. The Germans call their cake schwarzwälder kirschtorte, and I’m glad I only have to spell it. But I can write that it’s made with layers of chocolate sponge cake, dark cherries, and whipped cream. Sponge cake is dry, but you soak this one in Kirschwasser or kirsch. That’s a special kind of brandy bottled only in the Black Forest. Don’t put any other kind in your cake if you’re in Germany or the European Union. It’s been against the law since 2013. Use cherry juice if you want it without alcohol, but whatever you do, don’t call it Black Forest Cake in Europe.
PS – if you want to make Black Forest cake, go to the link for Britannica. It has a video and text with the directions included. Sources: Britannica Black Forest gateau - Wikipedia https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer/where-did-black-forest-cake-originate/YZKS6XCprcEU2Kxs If you’re happy, and you know it . . . Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but not for everyone. I have three quotes from three famous people. I hope they help you find a little bit of happiness. Quote #1 – There is in the worst of fortune the best chances for a happy change. Who said it? Euripides! It came from one of his tragedies. Here’s a recording with a minute’s worth of information about him. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes If you’ve never heard of Euripides, I’m not surprised. He wrote tragedies about 2500 years ago. Would you believe only three writers from ancient Greece had their complete plays survive? I hadn’t heard of the other two either – Aeschylus or Sophocles. I think it’s amazing that a quote about happiness came from a writer who specialized in tragedies. Source: Euripides - Wikipedia This is how I’d illustrate Euripides’ quote, the worst of fortune leading to a happy change. It might be raining on their parade, but these two are still having fun, together. Have you ever had something special planned, and then something goes wrong? It doesn’t turn out the way you expected. You could be sad, or you could look for the silver lining. Sometimes the unexpected, leads to more than you ever imagined. Quote #2 – The only way to be happy is to make others happy. Who said it? William Carlos Williams. He was 20 when he wrote it in a letter to his mom. Back then he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Here’s a link to a minute-long recording about him. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes I’d never heard of William Carlos Williams. He was quite talented! He was a medical doctor, poet, novelist, essayist, and playwright. He may have been overshadowed by other writers, but he inspired the Beat generation of the 1950s and 60s. Who knew he lived a pretty normal life as a doctor for more than 40 years? Maybe that’s why his words still ring true to me! Sources: William Carlos Williams | Poetry Foundation William Carlos Williams - Wikipedia When I think about what William said, this is what I picture . . . SHARING. One of my firm beliefs is that when you give, you get. When you get, you give. They work together. I’ve also heard that when you’re feeling down, look around. Look for something you can do for someone else. You’ll feel better, and so will they. I’d like to think that William Carlos Williams agrees with me too. How about you? Quote #3 – Whoever is happy will make others happy too. Who said it? Anne Frank. She’s unforgettable. She was forced to hide in an attic for 2 years during WWII. That’s when she wrote this sentence about happiness. Here’s a link to her recording. It’s about a minute long. Link: Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes This is Anne, back in July 1942. It was taken two months before her family went into hiding. Her father knew about some concealed rooms in his office building. They were hidden by a bookcase. The photo below is a cutaway of that building. If you go to Wikipedia, you can enlarge it and identify each room. This model reminds me of a doll house, but this was no children’s game of hide and seek for the Franks. If they were caught, they’d be sent to a concentration camp. Anne took the diary she’d gotten for her birthday into hiding. She wrote in it regularly until her family was arrested in August of 1944. They were sent to Auschwitz, one of the worst camps. Anne and her sister, Margot, were separated from their parents in November of 1944. They were sent to Bergen-Belsen, another infamous camp. They died a few months later, sometime in late February or early March. No one knows for sure. Anne’s father was the only one in the family who survived the war. Otto lost his wife, his daughters. When he returned to Amsterdam, he found his secretary Miep Gies. She’d helped them hide, and she saved Anne’s diary. Otto published it in 1947 because Anne wanted to be a writer. She succeeded! Her diary has been published in over 70 languages. What Anne wrote about happiness is incredible. She was so young and so wise. She found happiness in writing, and I get to share it with you. I found this photo when I tried to illustrate her words. Happiness is contagious. Can you imagine how it spread from the boy to the girl? I think the same thing happens when your favorite team wins a game. Their joy becomes yours. Information Source: Anne Frank - Wikipedia Photo Sources: 1. Her house: By Alexisrael - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31562690 2. Anne and Margot’s grave: By Arne List - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=184880 Part 1 - A Little Family History: Do you recognize these characters? The Addams Family? I thought this post would be about two commercials, but whenever I start researching something, I find cool facts and images. This story started with Charles Addams. He created the original cartoon back in 1938 for the New Yorker Magazine. Charles drew another 58 cartoons in this series, and almost all of them were published in the 1940’s and 50’s, long before I was born. The Addams family has come back in a few different incarnations since 1938. These photos are from two different TV shows from 1964. I was 5 back then. The 1st one is The Addams Family. I didn’t watch them, but this is their cast photo. Clockwise from the back left – Gomez (John Astin), Lurch (Ted Cassidy) Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax), Morticia (Carolyn Jones), and Wednesday (Lisa Loring). The 2nd photo reminds me of the Addams Family, but they’re the Munsters. I watched them every day after school. The cast standing from left to right – Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis. Sitting – Butch Patrick, Fred Gwynne, and Beverly Owen. Fun fact – Fred became a children’s author and illustrator. My favorite book of his – The King Who Rained. It’s very punny! Photo Source: - Cartoon By Charles Addams, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15992920 - Cast: By ABC Television - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19464844 Part 2 – Think Theme Song: I never watched the TV series from 1964 or the movies that followed, but I know the intro to the theme song. I used it all the time when I was teaching math. I’d sing, Show me your sign.” Then the kids would click their fingers and show their sign. Arms crossed for +, and fingers touching for minus. That’s all I needed for 2nd grade. But cross your arms for x, and hold an arm out for division. Then dot above and below that arm. The kids loved it, well maybe almost as much as I did! The real theme came from the 1964 TV series. It was written and arranged by Vic Mizzy, a famous TV and movie composer. I knew Vic used finger snaps for the percussion section, but I didn’t realize he used harpsichord for the rest. Amazing! If you’d like to hear it again, search out Addams Family Theme song, and you should see these two images. Click one, and listen. Don’t forget to check out the harpsichord! BTW - This is a harpsichord! I think it looks a lot like a piano. What do you think? Information Sources: The Addams Family - Wikipedia The Munsters - Wikipedia The Addams Family Theme - Wikipedia Part 3 – A Theme Song Goes Commercial . . . x 2 If you watch TV, you probably saw both commercials. I did, repeatedly! They got a lot of air time during October, when the movie, The Addams Family 2, came out. I found the Progressive Addams Family commercial first. It used the original music, but changed the lyrics to add in the Progressive characters. They’re as funny and quirky as the Addams Family, and the contrast between them is clever! My favorite moment – when Morticia asks Flo how long they’re staying. Morticia looks positively horrified when Flo says forever. If you love clever, search out this commercial and watch it one more time! Enjoy! If you watch TV, you probably saw both commercials. I did, repeatedly! They got a lot of air time during October, when the movie, The Addams Family 2, came out.
I found the Progressive Addams Family commercial first. It used the original music, but changed the lyrics to add in the Progressive characters. They’re as funny and quirky as the Addams Family, and the contrast between them is clever! My favorite moment – when Morticia asks Flo how long they’re staying. Morticia looks positively horrified when Flo says forever. If you love clever, search out this commercial and watch it one more time! Enjoy! |
AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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