Idioms-It’s All About How We Say Something. Or Is It?

Sara M. Robinson

In previous columns, I have mentioned the use of clichés and how we should avoid them, at all costs. Or use them at our peril. The same thing could be said of “idioms.” And what are they exactly? Here is a standard definition, according to Webster: (1) the language or dialect of a people, region, class, etc. (2) the usual way in which the words of a language are joined together to express thought (3) An accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary to the usual patterns of the language or having a meaning different from the literal.



Does that clear it up for us? Well, we need examples. And here are some: “don’t cry over spilled milk”; “that’s a wrap”; “break a leg”; “think outside the box.” I’m sure you can come up with others. Cliches start out as idioms and then become overused. Here’s a recent idiom that drives me nuts: “kick the can down the road.” Often idioms have been used to colorfully illustrate an ordinary action. An example: “Spill the beans,” to mean reveal a secret.



So, why am I talking about this in the context of writing poetry? It’s because I want to save you from using idioms! In your quest for unique poetic language, I want you to stay true to your creative use of words. Please do not use: “Barking up the wrong tree,” in a poetic line when you are describing your grandfather’s favorite coon hound calling out about the treed raccoon, and the furry thing is in another tree.



Try this instead: “My grandfather called and whistled for Sheldon his hound, going deeper into the woods / Sheldon, now fifteen, still had the heart for the chase/ But no longer had the sight or sound for the quarry. // Grandfather didn’t mind as Sheldon was still his favorite and would be until he died. / Which happened that same night and again at the base of the wrong tree.”



We don’t need idioms to help us write imaginative and impactive poetry. Why can’t we simply and with great talent say: My dreams are calling me to give in to sleep and come to the softness of a treasured quilt. Isn’t that much better than “hit the hay”?



Keep looking for new and better ways to express yourself. 

Until next time…

Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor of a course on Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and inagural poetry editor for Virginia Literary Journal. She has served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. She is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016), a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award. In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was released and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Her most recent publication is Simple River (2020, Cyberwit).

https://saramrobinson.com/

Stephenia H. McGee Interviewing with Suite T

Stephenia H. McGee

Award-winning author Stephenia H. McGee brings her Southern charm to the forefront in her new tale that fuses together the world of horse racing with past secrets and hidden dangers. Set in the early 1900s, The Secrets of Emberwild delves into the life of a headstrong woman who is determined to save her struggling horse farm regardless of the obstacles or the people who
want to hold her back.

When did you start writing?

I remember writing a story about a pig traveling on the Mayflower using my first grade spelling list. I always loved reading and writing naturally came out of my attachment to stories.


Who were/are two of your favorite authors?

That’s a hard one! I have so many authors that I love. I was that fifth grade girl lugging around a massive copy of Jane Eyre. I read very widely, in pretty much every genre. Many of my readers are surprised to know I am a fantasy fan, and I really enjoy Brandon Sanderson books. My husband buys me a new Sanderson book every year for Christmas, and I devour those 1,400 page tomes during our two week break. Mostly I read Christian fiction, however, and two of my favorite books I have read so far this year are When the Time Comes by Gabrielle Meyer and Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson.


Do you feel they influenced you? In what way?

I’m always inspired by good writing. Especially when the author has crafted the words in such a way that I want to go back and reread paragraphs simply to enjoy how beautifully they put images together. That is something I did with both Meyer’s and Ferguson’s books.


What point in your writing career did you feel like you had gone from amateur to pro?

When I bought a bathtub. I know, that sounds a little weird. Ha! But we had just closed on a new house and were remodeling our bathroom. I really wanted one of those old-fashioned claw foot tubs. Around that same time, I received what I considered my first “real” payment for book sales. I took that check and headed to the showroom! The Whistle Walk bought me a claw foot tub that year, and I felt like I had made it as a professional writer because I’d purchased something practical with my paycheck.


What do you look for in choosing a setting for your book?

History plays a huge part in where I place my books. I choose real events and places that heavily influence the story I am writing. For The Secrets of Emberwild, I wanted my horse farm to be in Neshoba County, Mississippi because of the Neshoba County Fair. A longstanding tradition in Mississippi, the Neshoba County Fair is quite fascinating. The grounds house a trotter track that has been operating for over a hundred years, and it was the perfect location for Nora and Arrow to take their first run.

What steps if any are involved in research for your book?

I love research. The first thing I do is order a ton of books and start there. I have copies of books dealing with everything from social etiquette to standards of horse training in the early nineteen hundreds. I also dig around in the National Archives and find newspapers from the time. Those are great resources for almost anything, and I found several advertisements for races and information on the fair from the Mississippi newspapers. Then finally, I always seem to end up stopping mid-chapter whenever I have to look up something like “was this word used in 1905?” or “what is the tire on a sulky called?”

In writing your new book, what do you feel makes it stand out?

The Secrets of Emberwild is unique with my female horse trainer and the trotting horse industry. There is an entire world that happens within the harness racing circuit, and a woman stepping into the role of trainer and jockey was unusual. Nora is a strong woman who is deeply connected to her horse and her farm, and that connection plays a vital role in the book.


In your new book, what would you like the reader to feel and walk away with?

I hope the reader feels swept away into a new and exciting setting and finishes the book feeling like they have learned a little about life, history, faith, and love during their adventure. Maybe they will feel the wind in their hair as they race through the fields with Arrow, the thrill of discovery as they unravel the secrets buried at Emberwild, and a tug on their heartstrings as Nora battles with both family and romantic relationships. When the final page closes, I hope they feel just a little closer to the God who weaves together a plan for each of us.


What is the best writing advice you have received so far?

Write to one reader. That sounded strange at first, but it is very true. Do you have a reader who loves your books (who is not related to you in any way)? Think about that reader. What is their age? The beliefs? Hobbies? Why do they read? When and where to they read? All of these things help you put an actual person in mind. Then as you are writing that book, you can think, “Oh, she’s going to love this scene!” It really helps.


What is the worst?

I’m not sure who first said it, but it seems the idea of “write what you know” is something that all writers hear. I disagree with this. If I only ever write what I know, then all of my characters would start to look like me. I believe writers should write what they learn.


Between plotting, character development, dialogue, scenes which is easiest for you, and which takes a lot of effort?

I struggle with plotting. I always try to put a plot down on paper, but I have a hard time coming up with anything before I start the story. Even when I do, that plot always changes during the writing process.

The easiest thing for me is probably character development. I have a lot of books on personalities and character traits, and I enjoy coming up with situations that will stretch and grow that type of personality.


What is your schedule for writing?

If I can stay on schedule, my typical day starts with writing and coffee as soon as my husband is off to work, and the boys are at school. I try for one chapter, or about 2,500 to 3,000 words. Then I go back and work on that chapter before sending it off to my critique partner. That’s usually the first half of the day. The second part of the day is for editing previous chapters when they come back from my critique partner, answering emails, other editing, and any other “writer job” things I need to do.

What do you do if you get stumped?

When I get stuck, I have to set the story aside and move around. I will go outside and go for a walk or run errands. Usually this gives my brain a chance to simmer on the issue and come up with a solution.


Did you or do you make any sacrifices to be a writer?

Like anything else, writing requires time. Depending on the season of life I’ve been in, that has meant giving up other hobbies or writing when I could have been doing any number of other things. It’s meant dedicating years to learning the craft and pushing through when it felt like I would never get anywhere.

Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you?

A bit of both. I love history and bygone eras, so historical fiction was a natural fit for me. After the first several books were historical romance, I had a niche. But I also write women’s fiction and time travel, so I’m not really the best at sticking to one thing.

What is the best way you found to market your book?

Connecting with readers. I am pretty active on Facebook and like to get to know my readers. When they get excited about a story, they share it with their book-loving friends. This kind of authentic kinship over story is the truest way to find and cultivate new readers.

Did you actively build a network of readers and if so, how?

I started with offering a free book to my newsletter subscribers. Then I invited those subscribers to be a part of my Facebook group. By being active with both, I continue to grow my readership.

Are you on the Social Media Highway and if so, do you schedule times to post?

My assistant helps me a lot with this. She helps me find fun and interesting things to post on my group, and once we have the post list put together, she schedules them for the group. Then I pop in an out all the time, talking to readers, answering questions, etc. I don’t really have a scheduled time for that, I just do it throughout the day when I’m not working on something else.

What advice would you like to give new authors that would help them?

Know your reader. Take time to cultivate reader relationships and ask them questions. What do they love about your writing? What topics/settings/troupes do they want to see? What trends in story are they loving or detesting? While the story itself should be what you are compelled to write, you can play up your strengths and put in elements your readers enjoy.

Stephenia H. McGee is the award-winning author of many stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. When she’s not reading or sipping sweet tea on the front porch, she’s a writer, dreamer, husband spoiler, and busy mom of two rambunctious boys.

Learn more at www.stepheniamcgee.com.

Irene Hannon Interview with Suite T

Irene Hannon

When did you start writing?

I’ve been writing since I was old enough to pick up a pen and put words together. I’ve always believed that storytelling, like any other talent, is a gift. So if you’re a writer, you write. And most of us never stop.


Who were/are two of your favorite authors?

Carolyn Keene (actually multiple authors) and Emilie Loring, who began publishing in the
1920s.


Do you feel they influenced you? In what way?

Absolutely! That’s why they’re among my favorites. The Nancy Drew mystery books whetted my appetite for strong, independent heroines who have staunch values and are courageous, loyal and smart. Nancy was a great role model for a young girl. The Emilie Loring books also featured strong women involved in intrigue, with the addition of a romance element. I read the latter books as a

What is Cowboy Poetry?

 Sara M. Robinson

Recently I discussed cowboy poetry with my weekly poetry critique group. This was a lively discussion as most had not heard of it, or the recently-deceased and beloved Baxter Black.

He was the major contributor to that sub-genre and would richly contribute his verse to late night hosts.

So, what makes this poetry type so interesting? 

Well, for starters, the main topics are near and dear to most hearts: horses, the West, saddles, chuckwagon steak and beans, prairie dogs, and cattle. Cowboy life is a life of rugged independence that we have seen portrayed by the likes of Randolph Scott, Alan Ladd, Clint Eastwood, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers. The West wasn’t always about bandits and Indians either. 

Many of the poems had a romantic lure which mostly focused on being away from family, the loss of a dear spouse, and longing for a pretty girl. As you can guess by now there weren’t many cowgirls noted, but we have to mention Dale Evans, Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane, and Sandra Day O’Connor. Yes, that one, the Supreme Court Justice who grew up being a cowgirl.

What would be the kind of lines and language we would expect to see? Here are a few to consider:

“I like to think I’m good with cows, / A pretty fair hand with a horse / But am I a surefire

 cowboy? / I’m dodgin’ the answer, of course. // …”. (Baxter Black. Washington Post June 2022)

 

“They don’t call it Death Valley for nuthin’

And coyotes don’t make a good pet 

But livin’ out here with the griz and the deer you pretty much take what you get” (Baxter Black)

“I know there's some ponies that I cannot ride

Some of them living, they haven't all died.

But I bet all money there's no man alive

That can ride Old Strawberry when he makes that high dive.” (Curley Fletcher)

And here is my contribution, as I thought, why not try?

Bull Rider’s Waltz 

Come jump with me in moonlight

Both of us tied to each other so tight

We’ll jump and careen ever so light

All day and well into the night

 

Come ride with me on the plains

And we’ll head toward sunset before it rains

We’ll hoop it up and holler out loud

Then laugh at the bull shaped like a cloud

 

Come live with me and we’ll face the weather

Free of ropes and rough raw leather

We’ll graze in lush green fields

And spend our lives in total pleasure

(Sara Robinson)

 

Sometimes when we write, we should give ourselves a chance to be totally silly. This is exactly what I did. It doesn’t matter whether it’s good or not. Cowboys didn’t really care either. They were content to entertain themselves and give their occupation a kind of pointless dignity. The point of their work was the work itself. Their poetry was a gift to us.

Keep writing!

This is Sara's newest book. A delightful read!

Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor of a course on Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and inagural poetry editor for Virginia Literary Journal. She has served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. She is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016), a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award. In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was released and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Her most recent publication is Simple River (2020, Cyberwit).

https://saramrobinson.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Sense, Sentiment, & Sentimentality

Sara M. Robinson

No, I am not channeling some of Jane Austen. I’m leaving out “sensibility.” We know why we are here. From this poet’s view, I want to share the importance of those three words to a writer.


Let’s start with the definitions (from Webster’s New World Dictionary )and then expand the meanings for the composition of poetry.


Sense: to feel, perceive; an ability to judge, distinguish, discriminate, or estimate external conditions; an ability to feel, appreciate, understand, or comprehend some quality, such as humor; an ability to think or reason soundly.

We all agree that artists have a special “sense” when it comes to capturing the presence or essence of their craft. Think de Vinci and his “Mona Lisa.” Think Walt Whitman and his tome, Leaves of Grass. It is this sense that is the underlying driver for language that becomes the heart of poetry. In other columns, I have touched on aspects of sense, but this column is offering attention to differing uses of the root word, “sense.” Poetry draws upon the expansion of sense to give reason to what we observe or feel. In her poem, “Scraps,” Louise Glück has these lines which portray sense very well: “… I saw / Myself at seven learning / Distance at my mother’s knee…” The discovery by the child is her sense of her future.


Sentiment: a complex combination of feelings and opinions as a basis for action or judgment; general emotionalized attitude (i.e. patriotism); a thought, opinion, or attitude, usually a result of deliberation, but often colored with emotion; delicacy of feeling; appeal to the emotions in literature or art. For example, think of all the poetry by the Brownings. They called that era of writing and culture the Romantic era, for a reason. Here is the famous first line from Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” In contemporary American poetry, we read the very strong patriotism of Walt Whitman. He makes no attempt to hide his sentiment about America. I urge you to read his poem, “Salut au Monde!” Then read “I,Too” by Langston Hughes. This poem is the definition of “sentiment.”


Sentimentality: character, condition, or quality of being sentimental. With sentimental meaning having or showing tenderness, emotion, delicate feeling, etc. as in music or poetry. So let’s focus on poetry here. In the Romantic period, poets such as William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Mary Robinson, spent much of their writing energy on exultations of the human spirit. Poems dedicated to the seasons and many devoted to religion and innocence were frequently published.

Strict poetic forms were the norm along with antiquated language (by today’s standards).


We don’t so much write like that now, but I would draw you to the poetry of Charlotte Matthews and her book, Green Stars. I love these lines: “ the soul is like a trust, / like a cloud whose shape of angel or not, / is exactly what we need to be. //



Keep writing… with sense and sentiment

Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor of a course on Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and inagural poetry editor for Virginia Literary Journal. She has served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. She is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016), a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award. In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was released and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Her most recent publication is Simple River (2020, Cyberwit).

https://saramrobinson.com/

Why Should I Read Poetry?

Sara M. Robinson

Recently I came across an old article, “The Importance of Reading Poetry.” This made me stop and think more about what I’ve shared with others about this importance. I have known poets who have told me they don’t read other poets’ works. When I asked why, the usual response was, “I’m too busy writing my own poems.” What?


If we are not reading other poets, we are missing out on a lot of great literature. There are so many great poets out there now that I can’t keep up. How can anyone ignore Wendell Berry?

Billy Collins? The late Mary Oliver? The rest of this column could be a list. But I want to take this space to give some suggestions and maybe some insight. I will draw on others who have responded to this question as well. Here’s a starting list:


1. Reading other poetry will increase your vocabulary and expand language.

2. Imitating other poets is a great way to learn to write poetry.

3. Pick up an anthology, such as The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, 2nd edition.(Edited by J.D.McClatchy). 1990.

4. Reading a variety of poems will train you to look for special forms, such as rhymes and flow.

5. Get outside your comfort zone and read everything you can. Even twice. Just don’t hurry.

6. Don’t live in a literary vacuum. Share your poetry unless you have decided that no one else will ever see it.

7. If you want others to read your poetry, then you must read what others are writing.


Think of reading poetry as the same as attending a symphony. Pick out parts you like and listen to the parts you don’t. Read some bad poetry and use this as a personal measuring stick for your writing. Also read translations and explore regional poetry, such as those from inner cities.


Lastly, unleash enthusiasm for poetry. Yours included. Don’t think of other poets as competitors. Remember, a rising tide floats all ships.



Until next time…

Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor of a course on Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and inagural poetry editor for Virginia Literary Journal. She has served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. She is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016), a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award. In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was released and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Her most recent publication is Simple River (2020, Cyberwit).


https://saramrobinson.com/

Susan Sleeman Releases New Series, Steele Guardians!

Susan Sleeman

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over fifty romantic suspense and mystery novels with more than one million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.

In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, two special sons-in-law, and two amazing grandsons.

Susan Sleeman's new series, Steele Guardians book 1, Tough As Steele, has been released. If you love mystery and intrigue you will definitely want to get this book.

Searching for an abducted woman...
Detective Londyn Steele is thrown into the deep end when she’s assigned to find an abducted socialite. Problem is, her family’s company, Steele Guardians, was supposed to protect the family matriarch at her eightieth birthday party when she disappears, and Londyn fears her investigation will expose problems in her family’s company and bring them down. Especially when County Detective Nate Ryder declares jurisdiction over the scene, and Londyn must take a back seat in one of the most important cases she’s ever investigated.

Could put them in a deadly killer’s crosshairs.
Londyn has no choice but to work with Nate and bristles at his interference at first, but soon forms a working truce so they can combine forces to locate this missing woman before it’s too late. As they search for leads, emotions he hasn’t felt since before his service as a Navy SEAL come to the surface. He credits Londyn for unearthing the guy he used to be before his military service, and Londyn can barely fight her attraction for him. But when they fear the socialite was murdered and the killer is still hunting, seeking another prey, their feelings for each other have to be put on hold to stay alive.

Book 2 , Nerves of Steele has been released.

To learn more about Susan’s books sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/

Or stop by any of these locations on the web.

Website - http://www.susansleeman.com

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Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Sleeman/e/B003ANF6Z8

Review Site - http://www.TheSuspenseZone.co

What is Poetry?

 Sara M. Robinson

Inspired by a recent essay asking this same question, I started thinking more about all that I have written about poetry, as well as the poems I have composed. After all, what is this genre we are writing? I guess we could ask the other long questions, too. Why? How? Where, and When might be a little obscure as to poetry, but back to the first question: What is poetry?



Is poetry prose, simply written differently? Some poetry critics say that poetry is simply prose broken up into short lines. Really? That’s an over simplification of the most amazing literary genre that the human brain has created. There is method to poetry and the first step is compaction: every word must serve a purpose. Even prose poetry (to further confuse matters) has specific tasks, such as creative visuals. Poetry also relies on a peculiar kind of rhythm to state its case for being poetry. The rhythm or cadence can seem musical or it can match the rhythm of human speech. Poetry does not have to have rhyming lines, but the language must be true.



Writing of true, I emphasize that language must be true in that it represents a keen interest and application of words. This is not the same as truth. My mantra is: Poetry can always be fiction, but the words must reveal great truths. By means of example, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in his seminal Democracy in America, “ …men in democracies, whose concerns are in general so paltry, call upon their poets for conceptions so vast and descriptions so unlimited.” These authors undertake such grand requests and respond with the gigantic to reach the multitudes. The risk is that poets get so lofty that they simply float away.



Poetry is the relevant genre of our times as well. We see in currently published works the anxieties, horror and redemptions that mankind faces. The world is brought closer to us and our own local geography is put right in front of us. Poetry is a mirror. Its reflections are created by words that make us either think, cringe, laugh or cry. At its best, poetry is a call to action. How?

Remember Amanda Gorman and her poem, “The Hill We Climb”?



Poetry is the all-inclusive “WE” for this planet. Poetry is more than a tie that binds, it is the rope of salvation. A rescue ship whose constant search is for more of us to save.



What is poetry? Perhaps the answer is what poetry is not.



Keep writing…

Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor of a course on Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and inagural poetry editor for Virginia Literary Journal. She has served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. She is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016), a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award. In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was released and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Her most recent publication is Simple River (2020, Cyberwit).

https://saramrobinson.com/

To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme, Is That a Question?

Sara M. Robinson

 

I’ve not talked about rhyme on its own in my earlier columns. As a free-verse poet, I don’t necessarily focus on rhymes. However, someone asked me recently if poetry had to rhyme.



This person wanted to write poetry but didn’t feel adequate enough to create rhyming lines.



And this got me to thinking about the idea of rhyme schemes. So, here we go. Let’s explore what it is about rhyming lines.



I’ve looked at two recent resources to help explain why or why not rhyming. One of the sources is Adam Gopnik’s “The Rules of Rhyme,” that appeared in the May 30 issue of The New Yorker magazine. I’ll refer to my second resource in a follow-up column. Gopnik states that rhyme is language turned into a ritual. He further explains that rituals are the cohesion (my word) among cultures, religions, and various sects. When we think of hymns, for instance, we know that literally every one of them in our language have rhyme schemes. Probably these hymns started out as poems then were set to music. Works of literature, such as those by Shakespeare used a great deal of rhyme. This was a great technique to appeal to the masses where formal education was not always present.



In our country today, we hear the poetry of hip-hop and rap as a major force in poetry of the YA group. Spoken-word poetry is also a forum for rhyming. So, does the popularity of modern spoken-word music (combines the two just mentioned) mean that rhyming is the only way to write? No, and maybe. All depends on what audience you write for or intend to write for.



To further add to your consideration of using rhymes, consider there are several types: half-rhymes, slant-rhymes, off-rhymes, odd-rhymes, near-rhymes, and assonance. I leave it to you to google these types as a homework assignment. If you decide that incorporating rhymes is an essential component of your style, then I implore you to expand your vocabulary. Read Milton, read Richard Wilbur, Robert Frost, and others who are formalists. Because once you begin to write in rhyme, you will need to consider how to make your lines work: iambic pentameter? trochee (stressed and unstressed syllables in a particular pattern)? These are only two examples.


Then lastly you will consider the end-rhyme word scheme itself: AABB, ABAB, ABBA, ABBCCA, ABA BCB, and so on.



What will you give your readers? Keep writing…

Sara M. Robinson, founder of the Lonesome Mountain Pro(s)e Writers’ Workshop, and former Instructor of a course on Contemporary American Poets at UVA-OLLI, was poetry columnist for Southern Writers Magazine and inagural poetry editor for Virginia Literary Journal. She has served as guest lecturer at UVA’s College at Wise, Wise, VA. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies, including We Grew Wings and Flew (2014), Scratching Against the Fabric (2015), Virginia Writer’s Club Centennial Anthology (2017), Blue Ridge Anthologies and Mizmor Anthology (2018). Journals include: Loch Raven Review, The Virginia Literary Journal, vox poetica, Jimson Weed, Whisky Advocate, and Poetica. She is poet and author of Love Always, Hobby and Jessie (2009), Two Little Girls in a Wading Pool (2012), A Cruise in Rare Waters (2013 Stones for Words (2014), Sometimes the Little Town (2016), a finalist for the Poetry Society of Virginia’s 2017 Book Award. In 2019, Needville, her poetry about effects of coal mining on SW Virginia was released and in 2020 debuted as play in Charlottesville. Her most recent publication is Simple River (2020, Cyberwit).

https://saramrobinson.com/

Seeing Into the Life of Things

Sara M. Robinson

Poetry As the Mechanism For Seeing Into the Life of Things.



In all of my previous columns I have written about how poetry works, the role of language, mechanics, and how to start our own internalized fire for poetry. I’ve written about poetry as a way to witness current events or to watch nature. What do I mean by this topic? In my unfolding explanation down this page, I attempt not to be redundant, but to offer some new/different sight lines using poetry.


How does poetry work to see the necessary points of life… and death? I submit that the first work poetry has to do here is get our attention. This is best done by a powerful first line, especially if the poem is short. Say, ten lines, more or less. William Carlos Williams’ poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow,” is only eight lines containing sixteen words. But that first line, “so much depends,” is a novel. This line is so expansive that it is amazing that it comes back to focus on the red wheelbarrow. That’s how attention works.


Poetry asks us to move in all directions. Some critics would say poetry requires us to move. Either way the key is observation. We may see lots of things and we may need to make decisions about what to keep and what to discard. For example, you witness a bluebird singing and you see a nice-looking car drive by. That decision of what to keep and write about is likely pretty easy. But what if you witness an accident and you witness someone struggling with groceries. In that case you may want to keep both as writing potential. Observation is about choices.


Poetry is also about reaction times. I hinted at that above. How we may react quickly to an event, though the poem may take much longer to come together. We react, poetry reflects. The caveat to this, however, is speed. Today’s electronic/digital age requires information to be sent at nanosecond speeds and read about as fast. There does not seem to be time to absorb the information and even to contemplate it. Poetry does not fit well with nanosecond speeds so this is why it could become a casualty. Spoken word poetry is one way to keep up as I see and hear young poets recite poetry in the fashion of hip-hop or rap.


Maybe poetry can be both things: Modern quick speed and slow thoughtful pacing. The quick one can relay immediate witness and the slower pace can provide perspective and documentary.


Lastly, poetry’s vision can bring us all into solidarity… in the world… in all life.

The Story Spark ~ Part 2

Tari Faris

Part 2

. . .What was the reason Libby came to town?

I live in the Phoenix area now, but I grew up in a small town in Michigan, and I make it a priority to visit my hometown every summer. Part of it is because I love to escape the summer heat, and part of it is because I love the pace and rhythm of small-town life.

 

When I was considering what Heritage needed in town, my mind traveled back to some of my favorite memories as a child when I would go to reading hour at the local library. Back then, the local library of our small town was actually in the town hall, just like in Heritage—although it wasn’t in the basement. However, years ago, it was moved from the town hall to the old firehouse that had been updated to a larger location.

 

I hadn’t mentioned a library in Heritage in You Belong with Me but adding a library with part of the grant money made sense so that gave me a reason for Libby to come to town to be the Librarian.

 

As I was beginning to write Until I Met You, I attended a community picnic in my town park where  they have situated an old one room schoolhouse in one corner. It is picturesque and as I stood there, taking in the park and schoolhouse, I knew it was exactly what Heritage needed. A library in the one-room schoolhouse. And if I dropped the one-room schoolhouse in the middle of the square that Austin was supposed to design, we would have instant conflict.

 

There is the long and the short of how I got the story spark for Until I Met You. So, dive in and see how all these pieces come together in a little town named Heritage.

Tari Faris is the author of You Belong with Me. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy, she is the projects manager for My Book Therapy, writes for learnhowtowriteanovel.com, and is a 2017 Genesis Award winner. She has an MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary and lives in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with her husband and their three children. Although she lives in the Southwest now, she lived in a small town in Michigan for twenty-five years..

 

 

How Effective are Book Signings, Shows, and Workshops ? (Part 2)

Jan McCanless

Author of Beryl's Cove Mystery Series

We will now continue from April 10th post:

There is another venue for writers, symposiums, where you go and either listen to an instructor tell you how to write your book, or you hear an established author tell you about their book.  Will you learn anything? Maybe, but, it won't help you write your book. I'll tell you why. After you have listened to the lecture, you will know how the instructor wants you write; they'll tell you how THEY want you to write, but, they will NOT help you find your 'voice', and put it on paper. 

Every writer I know  is someone who has a 'unigue' way of telling a story, It's their own originality, and you don't want to tamp that down. You want to be original, you want to say things in the way you want, what you don't want is to say things in the way someone else would.  Personally, I don't want to read a book that is formulaic in structure -- - a story line I recognize from other books I have read.  

There are authors out there who make an outline of their story, then, give it to their staff, and ask them to fill it in,. It becomes like every other book from that author, and you can almost know what the next chapter or paragraph is going to say.  How do you think some of these high priced authors write  2 and 3 books a year? They use the same formula for each book, and after I have read one or two from that writer, I don't read any more, because I already know the plot line .  

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Originality has to be a part of everything you write, and I found the seminars just don't teach you originality,. so, I avoid them. I want MY voice to come through the pages of a book, not someone elses.

So, do your homework, book as many signings as you can, talk to the folks who come, and learn from them.  Attend as many book festivals and fairs as you can manage, and do the networking when you are there. It will pay off in the long run.  If you do the lectures and  seminars, take what you can from them, but, retain that originality that makes your book ––you.  

Jan McCanless is a retired high school teacher, and former medical technologist, who penned her first Beryl's Cove mystery back in 2005. That one book lead to the Beryl's Cove series of  13 best selling books by this award winning author, who has also penned 3 very successful compilations of her humor columns and magazine articles. She is married, the grandmother of nine cherubs, and, resides in rural North Carolina

Her latest book, under promotion now, is the compilation, Assorted Brain Drippings of  Noted Sagittarian, and More Thoughts of Home  .

 Her next installment in the very popular Beryl's Cove series will be out next winter, and is entitled  Murder on the Rocks .

Jan's books are available from Amazon.com, empower publishing.com., bookstores and gift shops around the country, or from her website www.janmacbooks.com 

Check her website for all her publications

A Novel Way to Promote Your Writing (Part 2)

Judith Nembhard 
A passionate fiction writer.

          

           Consider also as a possible venue a community senior center. Here the director is tasked with providing varied and interesting activities to keep the clients engaged, and you have just what they need.  Admittedly, there is usually a routine that the center follows, but something different and valuable to the clients, as a workshop on an aspect of the language would certainly be, is an attractive offer, so they would welcome your presentation.

            College English departments also are a fertile resource for presenting a workshop on writing. Most colleges have a campus-wide activity period each semester. A lot of activities go on during this time, organized by clubs and other groups. At such a time, an English professor may invite a guest to his or her class. As an instructor, I invited a writer to my class, and it proved extremely satisfying for both the students and me. Later I, too, was invited to address a group of English majors during one of their activity periods. This is a time when you can give useful highlights on the writing life to young people who may be interested in becoming writers.

Start with a Bang

By Irene Hannon, Author of Starfish Pier

I was recently asked by a fellow author for one piece of advice she could share in a writing workshop she was leading.

After fifty-seven novels and a multitude of years in the publishing game, I’ve learned a lot—so it took a bit of thinking to cull through all the tips stored in my brain and pick out just one nugget of advice. Here it is.

Start your story in the right place.

Where, you may ask, is that? Simple. It’s the moment when everything changes for one of your main characters. When the world they know has shifted, and nothing will ever be the same again.

No matter the genre, our job as writers is to convey that life-altering moment in a high-impact opening. One that grabs readers and lets them know something big is at stake. That leaves them with questions—and eager to read on to find answers.

So how does this work in practical terms?

Starting a New Series (Part 2)

Stephanie Payne Hurt    @StephanieHurt4

Romance Author

Ok, let’s get to the good part, the books themselves.

As I said, there are four books. They are The Knight of Her Heart, The Cowboy of Her Dreams, The Pirate of Her Desires, and Marina’s Story. Now, the story is based around a current day family with an intriguing ancestor that was a good witch. Her name was Marina and she lived in Boston just after the witch trials. Marina believed in true love and knew there would be three sisters coming in the late 1900’s. She left three journals behind for them to find. Each journal had a spell cast over them that would send them back to where their true love was. Seems simple, right? Well, going back in time isn’t as easy as it sounds. And writing about it, well, that presents its own problems. Each one of the sisters has a special ability that they have never discovered until they go back in time. And the tricky part is keeping up with which sister went back to which hero. Also, I must keep up with all the names that are tied to the characters. In comes the side notes on the outline.
The books in order and release dates:


                The Knight of Her Heart – Released already.

                The Cowboy of Her Dreams – to be released in late February 2020

                The Pirate of Her Desires – to be released in late June 2020

                Marina’s Story – to be released in late September 2020
I suggest reading them in order, that way you find out Marina’s story at the end. Her story will tie it all together and hopefully leave your heart beating a little faster as you look at a journal for yourself.


Let’s start from the beginning story, The Knight of Her Heart. In this one, I had to get acquainted with life in the early 1200’s. The intricacies of how women were treated and where their place was made this story interesting since the heroine is from current day and her view is different from the ladies of that period. This causes some issues between her and the hero. Not to mention how the other people in the story perceive her. It’s not just a step back in time, it’s a huge leap from 2019 to 1200.


On to book 2, The Cowboy of Her Dreams. Anyone who has read any of my books knows that I have a fascination with cowboys. Of course, I had to have one in the series. This one is set in the early to mid-1800’s. It’s a time period that I’ve researched for several of my books, but this one has an exciting twist that will leave you guessing all the way to the end. I did have a little bit of a struggle as to how the heroine would start her life in the old west. But once you read this book, you’ll get a giggle out of it, I assure you.
Book 3, The Pirate of Her Desires is quite a story. The heroine is taken by surprise by the fact that her dream man is a pirate. She’s always loved reading about pirates, but when she’s thrown into the life of a pirate, things becoming startlingly clear that she’s in way over her head, but maybe the hero can help with that. This book is based in the 1700’s when piracy is invading the seas. There’s a lot of adventure and excitement in this book. Sword fights and high sea drama fill the pages as the heroine struggles to find her place in this time. Can she tame the pirate captain?


So, you’re probably wondering why there is a 4th book if the first three take care of my fictional heroes. Well, the last book is about Marina herself. She’s the one that started the whole process and her story needs to be told. She is a kind soul with a magical power that transcends time, quite literally. And her search for the love of her life takes her on many adventures as she works on getting the process just right. Not to mention the tensions of her own time period. And considering she’s a witch in a time when witches aren’t exactly welcomed, she must be careful how she comes back and where.

Of course, the journals are special and the abilities that each sister has is unique to the individual. Each story will pull you into the time period that they go back to and give you a look at life during that time. I tried to keep things as close to real as possible, but of course, this is a work of fiction. I had to give you something fantastic to give it that punch. The characters I’ve created for this series have their own set of problems and quirks that make them different. That sets each book apart. My goal is to send the reader to another place and time, if only for a moment. Maybe you’ll grab an old journal and write in it. You never know, Marina could’ve touched it with her special brand of romance…

Stephanie picked up her first romance novel in her early teens and fell in love. She began to pen stories in notebooks in her teens and throughout her twenties. It was in 2012 when she decided to publish her work and let the world in on her version of romance. Now she has 50+ books published and many more in the works.

A busy woman, she's a accountant, children's minister, wife and mother. Her life may be busy, but when she sits down at her laptop the world slips away and she goes into another place. Sometimes it's a ranch full of horses, or back to the Civil War saving a heroine find her love, but as always, she'll find romance even in the most remote places.

All of her books are clean, wholesome romances, some even dubbed as Christian romances. Her books range from western, historical, time travel, Christian, and she might even dabble in a little paranormal from time to time.

https://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/