down the writer's path

Does your dog read?

Meet Teddy. He dreams of becoming a reading mentor in a READ program. Some call them Reading to Dogs literacy programs, others say Sit, Stay, and Read. Teddy and I learned about these programs a number of years ago and he quickly became immersed in reading to anyone who would listen.

Teddy is one of 5 rescue dogs who live with me. Other members of the pack are Waco the Wonder Dog, a Great Pyrennes, whose ambition is to become a service therapy dog; Riley, a vociferous Cocker Spaniel who is a dedicated petrologist and has been rock collecting for years; Charlie, a 10-month old Pug and newest to join our clan; and Freddie, the dancing bear Maltese. The boys love reading and they have a particular passion for books that feature dogs. Like any reader, they are always in search of a good book so please share your favorites with them.

Over the last few years, the boys barked incessently about their desire to have their own blog. My Reading to Dogs blog is the result. I've combined my three passions: writing, reading, and dogs. I'll be sharing information on dog literacy programs and everything and anything about dogs. I've heard rumors that the boys have their paws to paper and are pushing pens on paper. Apparently they have a lot to say and I've heard there may even be book reviews coming.

WRITERS: Looking for a positive way to promote your work and help literacy at the same time? Send a photo of you and your dog reading together with your permission to post the photo vikksimmons@aol.com with subject line: Reading to Dogs photo, and I'll post it to Reading to Dogs with your name, the name of your dog, the book's title and anything else you add. (Yes, you can borrow a dog and no, it doesn't have to be one of your books.) Act now before Teddy yaps at your heels in pursuit of a good book. Quick! Grab a book and a camera. Call your canine pal and read!

Where have all the well-read writers gone?

Once upon a time reading was the fertile bed for emerging writers. The two were inexorably linked and their natural habitats were public libraries and bookstores. Many came from homes where reading was a priority. Others had teachers or librarians who knew how books could release the imagination. Life is different now. So are the folks who want to write. Unfortunately, today it's all too common to hear writers admit they don't read. Frankly, I find this wrong on so many levels.

The idea of a writer not being a reader is such a contradiction. It goes to the heart of why someone would want to become a writer. At its most basic, a person who writes wants to capture their thoughts, feelings, expressions, and ideas. Journal writing fulfills that need. After that most writing ultimately requires a reader in order to achieve its fullness of expression. At their core, writers have a need and/or desire to communicate and these storytellers require an audience to complete the circle. If a writer doesn't read, doesn't like to read, why on earth would he or she want to work in a medium that requires readers? Why would they expect anyone else to read what they write? And how do they support their industry if they don't read and if they don't buy books?  

Today the visual reigns supreme in movies, videos, games, etc. Illiteracy rates continue to climb and the culture seems less and less intent on prizing the skill of knowing how to read. The classics have fallen away or have been dumbed down to the point where the few young readers who make the effort fail to gain their full import. Learning how to read has been reduced to recognizing a group of letters without gaining an understanding of the more advanced reading skills dealing with comprehension, context, subtext, and other subtleties.

Writers who don't read come to the table empty-handed. They have no idea of the conversations that exist between writers and their readers and amongst writers from one generation to the next. That loss can lead writers to make mistakes and wrong assumptions in their pursuit of the craft. How can they weigh their ideas for originality when they're clueless as to what's gone on before? How can they identify clichés? How can they participate in the ongoing conversation when they aren't privy to it? 

Writers who do read come with embedded knowledge gained from years of reading. They've been engaged with authors who sought to communicate ideas and create worlds built on words, sentences, and paragraphs. They understand the dance of white space. They take in the natural rhythms and inhabit a variety of worlds, hear different voices. They've soaked in craft without realizing it. They have an innate understanding of what a reader wants because they've been one. When they take up their walking stick, they start much further down the writing path toward their goal.

Movies are high value in the culture today. I understand that even though I seldom watch them. If I see any, they're at least 2-3 years old and on cable. It's been eight years since I've gone to see a movie. While I have enjoyed the experience, it's not one I tend to want to repeat. I am a book person. I love being surrounded by books, revel in experiencing them and having my imagination fully engaged in the way only books can do. I willingly return to books to repeat the experience. That said, I spent two years studying screenplays and analyzing films, and I continue to keep up with the form. We are, after all, a visual culture and my readership has been imprinted with those storytelling techniques. So why are writers neglecting the very foundation of their craft?

Most writers are not as skilled in reading as they were when I was young and, unfortunately, either they don't understand the need or don't have the desire to develop their reading skills. They don't know or don't care that their lack of reading has an impact on their development as a writer and on the stories they create. If you fall into one of those categories, perhaps you'd like to give this reading thing a try. There are books that can guide you and offer suggestions on where to start. Why not create a New Year's resolution to take up reading but do it with a defined purpose: Read to learn your craft. 

Vincent Bugliosi, author and lawyer, appears on CSPAN's BookTV's In Depth this weekend

Celebrated lawyer and writer Vincent Bugliosi will be CSPAN's BOOK TV's guest for In Depth on Sunday, November 4 (LIVE from Noon to 3 pm ET). Bugliosi captured the public's attention during the days of the infamous Manson family. He made his mark in true crime with the famous "Helter Skelter" and has followed up with a number of bestselling and provocative books. If you've been a reader of DWP, then you know how much I love CSPAN's weekend BookTV. My favorite programming is In Depth where an unprecedented three (3) hours of uninterrupted programming is dedicated to one author. It's an opportunity to dig deep into the body of work and into the author's life, thought, and creative process. I highly recommend any writer spending three hours of the first Sunday of every month wading deep into the minds and works of celebrated authors. The following is from BOOKTV's write up of this weekend's interview.

Mr. Bugliosi was the lead prosecutor in the case against the Manson Family and successfully prosecuted 105 out of 106 felony jury trials during his tenure as a prosecutor for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. He is the author of several books, including "Helter Skelter," "And the Sea Will Tell," "Till Death Us Do Part," "The Betrayal of America," and his most recent "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy."

Vincent Bugliosi is the author of "Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders," (with Curt Gentry) "And the Sea Will Tell: A Shocking True Story of Murder on a South Seas Island," (with Bruce Henderson) "Till Death Us Do Part," (with Ken Hurwitz) "The Phoenix Solution: Getting Serious about Winning America's Drug War," "Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O.J. Simpson Got Away with Murder," "No Island of Sanity: Paula Jones v. Bill Clinton - The Supreme Court on Trial," "The Betrayal of America: How the Supreme Court Undermined the Constitution and Chose Our President," and "Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy."

Sunday, November 4, at 12:00 PM
Monday, November 5, at 12:00 AM
Saturday, November 17, at 9:00 AM

Get a little Spunk & Bite with an interview with Art Plotnik

Why is language or style so important to writers? Well, according to Arthur Plotnik, "Most editors become editors because of a special infatuation with language...all else being equal, the masterly, distinctive use of language lifts an editor's (or agent's) heart. It means that the writing, as is, will please critics; that it will deliver on a promise to readers."

I don't know about you, but staying true to the reader is my number one goal. Arthur Plotnik is the author of the new Spunk & Bite: A writer's guide to punchier, more engaging language & style, a terrific new book that is bound to provide inspiration while giving you a stimulating and often humorous read. While he's a great teacher, Plotnik does even more: He leads by example. Try his opening paragraph:

"Sometimes when I'm digging for the right word, I long for a terrier-like acuity, a canine's sensory gifts applied to language. Imagine if dogs ever figured out how to write--how to put that spunkiness and bite of theirs into literature. Think of those olfactory superpowers attuned to sniffing out metaphors or tracking, not the bone mot, but the bon mot. We dry-and-fleshy-nosed writers could be in big trouble."

If Plotniks's name resounds with a familiar clang, maybe you encountered the Grand Master of Punctuation and Style in one of his earlier books such as The Elements of Editing or The Elements of Expression: Putting Thoughts into Words. If you're a librarian, perhaps you went a few rounds with the master during his tenure as editor of the American Library Association's magazine, American Libraries. I first encountered the master a few years ago when I read and reviewed The Elements of Authorship.

As a young writer, Plotnik studied under Philip Roth and Vance Bourjaily at the Iowa Writers Workshop. Not a bad start. If you have the time, check out Art's website, Spunky's Blogrr, and, if you want to know more about the man, check out his official bio. And don't forget to return for more tidbits and soundbites from the Great Plotnik!

My Library over at LibraryThing

For those few who keep up with these kinds of things: I now have catalogued 423 books entered into my database over at LibraryThing. For those who enjoy oddball statistics, here's a link to LibraryThing's overall stats. My catalogue currently contains a lot of ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies). With so many books and so little time, I've made it a point to add any new books coming into the house while I struggle to slowly add the older books lining the shelves, stacking the floor and counters, and topping the tables. While some ARCs come as the result of my working at Borders, others arrive via Blogcritics.org; however, there's also a major influx of new releases scheduled for this summer as a result of my traipsing across the George R. Brown Convention Center last week during during the Texas Library Association's annual conference. If you'd like to see which ARCs I have, click on the catalogue page, click on "search library", then look for the search bar. Type in ARC and click on tags. (You have to be on the "printable" display page rather than the "graphic" one to find the search box.)

I am a total fan of LibraryThing. The catalogue can be downloaded and easily searched. It's also interesting to see who else has the same books. When I loan a book out, I simply go in and add another tag with the person's name. Then all I have to do is search for that person's name and I know what books they have--which are very few as I am a curmudgeon when it comes to loaning out books. Here are some interesting facts about LibraryThing:

Books cataloged 2,559,383 (1) Total users 36,148 (since August 29, 2005); (2) Unique works 768,626; (3) Total tags 3,756,005; (4) Total reviews 32,477; (5) Total ratings 331,045; (6) User-contributed covers 64,354

Have you considered using an online library catalogue site?

Finding the passion to write

During the last holiday season I somehow forgot to pick up copies of the latest The BEST AMERICAN Series (2004), and had, in the process, deprived myself of what has become an annual pilgrimage through the pages of the year's best American essays, spiritual writing, science and nature writing, travel writing, and stories, both short and mystery. I enjoy the brief encounters with writers of high caliber and wide-ranging thought. Often I find new (to me) writers or writers I had by-passed for a variety of reasons. Many times I gain new respect for a known writer.   

Sometimes the pieces are autobiographical and an open window into the writer's life or writing process is offered. That's how it was the other morning--although I didn't know it--when I read Laura Hillenbrand's A Sudden Illness in the The Best American Essay Series for 2004. The piece originally appeared in The New Yorker. Mind you, I didn't make the connection between the writer and her best-selling book until the revelation at the end.

"What began as an article for American Heritage became an obsession, and in the next two years the obsession became a book. Borden and I moved to a cheap rental house farther downtown, and I arranged my life around the project. At the local library, I pored over documents and microfilm I requisitioned from the Library of  Congress. If I looked down at my work, the room spun, and Border jerry-rigged a device that held the documents vertically. When I was too dizzy to read, I lay down and wrote with my eyes closed. When I was too dizzy to read, I lay down and write with my eyes closed. Living in my subjects' bodies, I forgot about my own."

Hillenbrand details the terrible and sudden onslaught of a disease that captured her in its net in 1987 and still exerts tremendous power over her more than fifteen years later. With more downs than ups, it's absolutely amazing to me that she continued to write despite the devastation that sought to consume her every moment. That she could produce a work that so captured the imagination of millions and led to a major movie nearly defies belief.

But that's how it is for many writers who struggle to produce book after book despite hands that are locked into tight balls constrained by rheumatoid arthritis or bodies that suffer attack after attack of MS or some other debilitating disease. You have to wonder: What is it that makes them persevere? Why do they continue to struggle day after day, often with meager results that would deflate the best of us and cause most of us to walk away?

Passion. Some call it a compulsion, others say it's an obsession, but whatever it is, there is something deep inside that tries mightily to get out, to be released into the world at large. Despite the clamor of the real world, the obligations and duties, the frustrations, the struggles, the strikes that imperil the soul and the body, these writers continue on. While I confess that my trials and travails barely rise to the bar set by so many other prodigious and productive, yet afflicted, writers, I do know that I am driven to write in order to communicate: I have something to say. It's beyond reflection. It's infused with discovery. The urge to tell is powerful.

But there is another, perhaps more powerful urge, that infuses my writing. I love to create. The first burst of an idea that lights up my interior landscape sparks such a strong desire to communicate and urges me to find the right form to translate the idea from my mind onto paper. The ability to write and sort it all out, to make sense of the explosion, is what draws me back to the process time and time again.

If you haven't figured out who Laura Hillenbrand is, let me jog your memory. Her book won the Book Sense Book of the Year Award and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Okay, think: racehorse. Yes, she is the author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend, and her essay, Sudden Illness, won the National Magazine Award. (Click here to read the full article.)

Do you have a passion to write? Maybe it's not the writing but the subject that brings a twinkle to your eye and an obligation to your spirit. Ask yourself whether you're writing something that interests you, something that has enough power to bring you back, time and again, to the keyboard. If you do, then the next time you don't feel like writing, remember Laura Hillenbrand. Then turn on the computer and click your way back into that stream of passion that thrums at the center of your writing life.

How a successful promotion turns into a new book project: DIVIDED LOYALTIES leads to TEENS TAKE ACTION

Imagine my surprise when I stopped to pick up of one of the smaller local papers and found the article on my book DIVIDED LOYALTIES and my new website/blog www.TeensTakeAction.com on the front page, below the fold. Now this is good placement for any article but for one that features an author it's great. I wish I could provide an Internet link but so far the article has not been posted online.

For me, the article had everything I hoped it would. I say that because even though the various components were discussed during the interview process, the final outcome and shaping is left to the reporter and then the editor. What I might want highlighted might be omitted due to the reporter's particular slant or emphasis; or the editor may not have as much space as expected and the piece might be slashed to a mere mention. In this case, the reporter discussed how my young adult novel became the inspiration for the Teens Take Action website and contest. Full information on the website and contest appeared in the article. Finally, even this blog on writing was mentioned which made it well-rounded with all the bases covered.

My only major complaint was that the Fast Fact Box had the ages for the contest incorrect. The contest is for all t'weens and teens ages 9 through 19 (not 9-12).

One of the reasons articles are so important is that they then become part of an author's press kit. I have already made copies and these will be included in all information going out to the media, bookstores, etc. in the near future. The TeensTakeAction promotion is an ongoing one with an annual contest. With the release of my second young adult, VIDEO MAGIC, at the end of summer, I'll be including promotional material about the Teens Take Action 2005 and 2006 contests.

As so often happens with writers, the promotional concept has now led to a new book. I'm collecting stories about teens who have made a difference in their communities either individually or in groups for a new book. So if you know of any stories or hear of some in the future, please drop me a line. The website and contest, and this book, are not limited to my local area. It's open to stories of real teens making a difference anywhere in the real world. The stories can be of small neighborhood efforts or ideas that took hold and turned into something that caught the imagination of the state, the nation, and/or the world.

So, spread the word.

(BTW: I am still having fits with my computer and the mouse and all, so it's a struggle to get online to post. I hope to have this resolved this weekend.)

The power of books: fact or fiction?

Have books lost their power?

Maybe, maybe not. I was reminded of their power the other day when I stopped by to visit my iconography teacher’s latest class. While there I spent some time combing through the bookshelves where I found a big, heavy, whale of a book called The Crucible of Christianity, edited by Arnold Toynbee. Printed in 1969, the book, at 10 ½ by 14 inches is, well, heavy. The pages are lined with text and full of illustrations, drawings, maps and plans. As I lugged the book to the car, a group of five girls on bicycles appeared out of nowhere. The leader, an Hispanic girl of about seven or eight years old, hopped off her bike and ran over to touch the book--with the other girls following suit. She spoke quickly—in Spanish--to them as her hand move up and down the book's length. I opened the pages and they all leaned forward; they spoke among themselves. Apparently excited about the book’s sheer size and weight, they urged me to turn pages amidst their oohs and ahs. Their small fingers brushed the text and pointed to photographs of sculptures and Roman cityscapes. The young leader wanted more. She held the book, turned the pages, felt the paper. This exploration lasted for another fifteen minutes.

Finally, I had to go and she reluctantly released the book.

In this modern-day culture that is so stimulated by visual media it is tempting to think the day of the book has long gone. I know I fall prey to those dark thoughts when I think of how our culture is so defined by movies, TV, and video games. Even music must share its bed with video today. Now and then the power of the written word in its ability to capture the imagination sweeps across the landscape. You saw it with the tsunami-like wave that defined the Harry Potter phenomena. Who would have thought a major literary event in today's world would come about through children’s books? An event so strong it would propel its author into billionaire status? Whether you put J.K. Rowling’s efforts into the “literary” category or not, it is hard to ignore the books, their effect is palpable. Children are suddenly seeking books that are made up of hundreds of pages; boys—even those in the hard-to-reach 8-12 year range—are, gasp, reading them.

Yet, literary salons are pretty much a thing of the past. Think back to the last time you tried to discuss a book you had read. How long before the conversation shifted to movies? Not long, I bet. Among writers you can pretty much set your clock by the length of time they’re able keep the conversation confined to books: twenty minutes tops. Try it. It’s almost impossible for them to stay focused on books. Someone will suddenly insert something about a movie and once that happens, the book conversation is lost. I often wonder if the reverse happens among screen writers. Does their talk of movies turn into a conversation about books? Not likely. What that says about today’s writers is, perhaps, fodder for another day.

I confess I am not a movie buff. I am an antiquated, boring, confirmed bibliophile. I love books. I love their feel: the texture of the pages, the roughness of the binding, the smell arising from fanned pages. I revel in being surrounded by the many books that line my seventeen bookcases, stack upon my three desks and pile my sundry tables. But that is only the pure physicality of books, even more alluring is knowing that a mind is at work on every page. That, for me, is the most intimate aspect of any book: its ability to engage the reader in a conversation with the author. The pages of my books are filled with the resulting marginalia. More than movies, more than TV, books engage me, they stir my imagination.

Now you may point to the girls’ interest in the images to account for their prolonged contact with the book, and that may hold some truth; but I also saw how they reacted when they simply tried to hold the book in their small hands and turn the pages. The girls were engaged on so many more sensory levels than simply that of the visual. I don’t know if the experience will stay with any of the girls or if it will have any impact, but I do know those moments will remain with me for a very long time.   

Booknotes redux

Not too long ago I posted a note about an article in USA Today Books that featured the article "C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb Closes the ‘Book’” about Brian Lamb’s decision to end the long-running and popular Booknotes. Since 1989 Lamb has interviewed 800 nonfiction authors. The interviews are responsible for a good many books lining my shelves, and the show offered a rare opportunity for authors, many not counted in the traditional bestseller ranks, to discuss their books in depth during a one hour interview—no commercials, mind you. Since then Booknotes has ended but the interviews are now available on C-SPAN's website. In addition, reruns of Booknotes interviews from 1989-2004, called Encore Booknotes, are being aired on weekends. A new show--minus Lamb--features nonfiction authors and guest interviewers.

DIVIDED LOYALTIES: The book and a little BSP

Divided Loyalties is now available in print form for your reading pleasure or your gift-giving needs. The story is categorized as a young adult and suitable for t'weens and teens. While at it's core the story is a romance, the relationships of family and friends and the lure of activism swirl around the 16-yr old protagonist as she comes to terms with her life and new love. Reviews have been great so far with the reviewers calling it a good story for any age. You'll even find discussion questions at the back of the book to encourage talk between the reader and family members, book club groups, homeschool and public school classes, and churches and organizations who might use the book to begin a talk with kids about getting involved.    

You can buy my great opus direct from Booksurge( Divided Loyalties) or click below to pick it up through Amazon. While you won't find the book in stock right now at any bookstores, it can be special ordered. I will have at least one book signing at Borders-Fountains in the Houston area that is tentatively set for Saturday, December 11 and plan to attend a Celtic Fair on the 19th. If you're in the Houston-Spring Branch area, the bookstore at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church also has a number of copies. I'll let you know the details of those and more events as they are scheduled and confirmed.

If you check out my publisher's page (Awe-Struck E-Books), you'll find several reviews and excerpts from the book. For the young readers who prefer e-books, you can purchase the electronic version directly from the publisher. Contact me if you'd like a signed bookplate to add to the book or the gift-giving.

After you've read the story, I'd love to hear from you. . .so that's the end of the blatant self-promotion--today.