Knowing When to Let Go in This New Year!

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

A wise gentleman, one of my mentors,  was a lover of the Animal Kingdom and all things that dealt with nature. National Geographic was a mainstay of his. He always said there was a lot we can learn from the animals and their nature. He once told me the story of a way monkeys were trapped with a barrel and a banana. He said a heavy wooden barrel had a hole cut into the side and a banana was placed inside the barrel. The monkey was enticed by the banana and would reach into the barrel and grab the banana only to realize he could  not pull it out through the hole with a clinched fist.

Now we would think certainly the monkey would release the banana and go on his way to look for others. That is not in his nature. His nature is to hang on to the fruit. He would be found there still hanging on when his trappers returned. To his detriment he hung on too long.

I know many times I have been like that monkey. The mentor I mentioned was explaining to me about a sale I had in mind. His experience told him it was not to be and he was letting me down gently. I eventually learned in sales those sales were known as china eggs. Eggs that will never hatch.  After that I learned to identify them and let them go.

Thinking only of the reward ahead and not of the predicament one is in can dim one’s judgement. Our hope can be so great we are blinded. Our hope can also be fueled with bait like the banana which draws us further into our course of action, wrong as it may be.

The question is when do we let go? I am fond of the positive advice, “Don’t let go before the blessing!” I understand it as well as , “Never Give Up”. 

But there are times and circumstances when letting go must be considered. There will or should come a time when even the monkey realizes he is not getting the banana. It is then he should change course, withdraw his hand and preserve his life. I know that most times our circumstances are not life threatening but they are important to us.

Someone once said. “ Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.” Each of us must decide if it is time to let go. Are we looking at a china egg that will never hatch? Are the promises any closer or are they farther away? Is the timeline expected come and gone? Is the price higher than first thought? What is your gut telling you? It may be time to let go.         

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! A New Decade Begins!

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor of Southern Writers Magazine

Yes, at Southern Writers Magazine we say Merry Christmas! After  all that is what it is. So again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from all of us here at Southern Writers Magazine. We hope your year has been a happy and prosperous one. There are still a few days left in the year for you to tie up any loose ends. But remember these last few days are also the last few days of the decade.

Author, p.m. terrell recently posted on Facebook, “There’s only two more weeks left in this decade. What would you consider your most memorable moments of the decade?” The response was amazing! Looking back over the last 10 years wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. A lot has happened and choosing the most memorable ones, although difficult, was a great opportunity to count my blessings.

Looking back also gave me an eye-opening moment to realize 10 years has passed in the blink of an eye. Another is about to start. So much planning and goal setting went into the last 10 years. I had to ask myself what my goals are and plans for the next 10 years. What have I learned and what do I hope to learn in the coming years?

As great as my last 10 years have been, I want the next 10 years to be the best yet? In order to assure that happens planning and goal setting come into play again. Also taking stock and knowing where we have been, will make us aware of what is possible. The next step is to set your goals higher. As business like as this sounds it can also be used to plan personal finances and family time. All parts of our lives are intertwined so we must plan as such.

So simply put it boils down to 5 questions. Where are you now? What are you excited about now? What would you change? Who makes the decision? What is the solution? With this  searching and planning you should have the best decade yet!

Back to p.m. terrell’s question, “What would you consider your most memorable moments of the decade?” For me that was easy. On December 17^th Nancy and I celebrated our 50^th Wedding Anniversary. We first took a trip to Hawaii. We then renewed our vows in the presence of family, including 8 of our 10 grandchildren, and friends in the little church in Arkansas we grew up in. We were fortunate to have the pastor that married us return to renew our vows. Now that’s memorable!  

 

   

Pearl Harbor - Your Point of View is Important

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Recently, I had the opportunity to revisit Pearl Harbor. It had been some sixteen years since I was last there and very little has changed. It is a well-maintained memorial to our fallen heroes and the tragedy that occurred there on December 7^th, 1941 at 7:55 AM. I will tell you it seems to me each time I have visited I have come away with a different perspective of the tragedy. I discovered I wasn’t the only one.  

Visiting the book shop there I was overwhelmed by the great number of books about the event. Bookshelves full of books stand in place covering a large portion of the gift shop. Judging by their titles, each approaches the event from a different viewpoint. Most cover the actual attack. Being able to look back on it and the additional knowledge gathered over the years provides the writers of today with an insight many did not have. The shock of such an attack happening on US soil overwhelmed many and made it hard to be objective early on. Many have taken a second look, see more and can deal with more of the stories.

One book I found great interest in was one written by Rodney T. West, MD. Honolulu Prepares for Japan’s Attack, May 15, 1940 to December 8, 1941. I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. West in 2003. He was doing what writers do, signing his book at the Memorial site, and taking time to speak with each of us. Dr. West had served on several committees preparing for the possibility of such an attack. He shared with me even with all the preparation, they were overwhelmed. He said he could not imagine how things would have gone without the preparation and planning they had in place. Dr West’s title of his book gives a definite timeline.  

Preparation was some 18 months but on December 8^th it was over. It then became time to recover and rebuild. Dr West died in March of 2008. Well known on the island for his service to the community as a veteran and MD he had one other note of fame prior to death. During the Obama Presidential Campaign his name was brought to light as the Dr who delivered Barack Obama. Dr West touched history a second time. The conspiracy continues to be debated.

I hope writers when writing about a known event realize there are many  different viewpoints. Many are different. If you think yours is important, most likely it is important to others. Don’t hesitate to share it with us all.

Never Waste a Crisis

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Michael Bloomberg was being interviewed about his possible 2020 run for President and was asked about his stance on gun control in the light of the mass shootings in America. He felt there was an opportunity to get legislation passed while the public has this crisis on their minds. He made the statement, “A crisis is too important to waste.”

It may seem cold hearted but the truth is the crisis at hand will give wings to the legislation he is hoping for. It will do the same for other things as well. You see it all the time. Song writers write about current happenings. They take a crisis and let it carry their song further than it may go without it. The same is true for movies, TV shows and books.

The crisis of the day is reflected in our entertainment. This is due to several reasons. It is on our minds and possible has “top of mind” status. The story is known. It readily connects because it is familiar. As familiar as it is to us there is always a twist or two that can be added and change things about it entirely. The basic concept is there before us. Introducing a story with familiarity makes it easier to go deeper and make it more complex.

In politics a crisis gives reason to act. To reverse the process, that is to meet a political action one desires, one must create a crisis that can be acted on and met in a way that achieves the outcome we desired. Often this is implemented and achieved with no obvious connection between desired outcome and the crisis created.

With this said writers should keep their eyes open to the opportunities around us. Use the existing crisis at hand to give wings to your story. It can, with a quantum leap, carry your story further and faster due to its familiarity to the reader.

If there is no crisis to carry the story you have create one. What crisis would there need to exist to carry your story and bring to fruition the outcome you desire. This can be established by back tracking from your desired outcome to a reason why each step was completed. From outcome to crisis and crisis to outcome. This can work and work well for you.

All in all, as a writer we should always remember, “A crisis is too important to waste.” Michael Bloomberg,     

Friendlier Libraries

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

I have always loved books. I remember most of the elementary classrooms had a large bookshelf with many of the classics. We were free to look through them and as far as I knew they weren’t in any order. We never worried about taking one out and putting it back out of order.

All that changed as I got older and started using the High School and College libraries. It seemed to me as I entered a library the emphasis was on the order of things. I remember being introduced to the Dewey Decimal System. My first thought was who thought of such a tool of torment. A system of decimals created by a man named Dewey had taken this wonderful place to browse for fun, adventure and wonderment and changed it to an orderly world of books with numbers.

I felt hopeless and began to rely totally on librarians and their leadership. I thought this was done for them to maintain power and authority over the orderly structure of all these books. I could see the need to maintain some form of order but what seemed to me to had been done was take people like me out of the picture and make us dependent upon the librarian.

My two main concerns dealt with my pride. Not knowing or understanding the Dewey Decimal System and admitting it by asking where to find a book. The second issue was once having the book and deciding it may be the wrong one, I had no idea where to go to put it back. With today’s friendlier libraries and librarians, I doubt I would have ever had this concern. One thing I have noticed is a YouTube presentation on the Dewey Decimal System I have watched. Simple instructions along with a chart that makes sense. 

While visiting with a school administrator she explained to me she was getting children to read by making changes. One of the changes was the children’s library in the elementary school was arranged like a bookstore you would go into, by genre. It appears to hide the intimidating system and allows more browsing like we did in elementary school. The truth is the genre method was always there but the emphasis was on the decimals.      

My granddaughter is a freshman in the largest high school in our state. It is a new plant costing near $100 Million. It has a marvelous library. I asked my granddaughter if their library was arranged by genre. She looked puzzled and answered yes as if how else would you do it. I was glad to hear that. I began to think this was more the norm. I must say her library bright and open, looks like a park with benches and oh yes food from the cafeteria is allowed. I think I would feel at ease in that library. It sounds like schools are doing what it takes to get kids to read books.     

Writing for Halloween

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Every year, as Halloween approaches, it seems all my TV dramas adopt a Halloween theme. I am not opposed to Halloween but it is hard to pull off a believable drama with the same characters that have been doctors, nurses, police officers, firemen and the like. Their strong drama characters overpower their short-lived Halloween characters.

Overcoming the distraction of my favorite character appearing to be something different is hard enough but many times the writers don’t make things any easier. The plots vary from offbeat, to comical, to scary or even cute. I say cute because my grandchildren just saw the “Adam’s Family” and thought it was cute. Another set of grandchildren saw “IT Chapter 2” and described it as creepy. I’m not sure what the writers had in mind on either film but I would be willing to guess it wasn’t “cute” or “creepy”. 

Hearing their description of these movies I thought, I have never heard anyone describe one of Stephen King’s movies as cute or creepy. It seems to me the descriptions of his movies are more like scary and horrifying. King has been noted as the author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, and fantasy. No cute or creepy.

Frightening movies are not necessarily written with Halloween in mind but they are very often released around that time. It is the time of year we are all looking for a scare so why not indulge us? But let’s think back to what was mentioned earlier. Horror and even terror have its place but there are also places for cute and creepy. We may not be of the mind set to write the greatest of horror stories but there is also a place for us if we like writing scary, creepy or even cute. With most genres there are various ways to approach it. Writing horror has many levels as well.

As we enjoy this upcoming Halloween be aware of the stories you see and hear. Look them over and put them in a category you can name, such as horror, scary, creepy or cute. If you decide which one is your forte and you want to give it a try, go for it. It would be great to have it finished and out in time for Halloween 2020. Happy Halloween!     

    

Like Giant Redwoods Authors Helping Authors

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

I recently attended the Southern Authors Event at the Collierville Burch Library in Collierville, TN. Author Steve Bradshaw put it together with 11 other authors from the Mid-South region. Deanna Britton, Director of the Collierville Burch Library assisted in the event and was in attendance. Annette Mastron, our Communications Director of Southern Writers Magazine and I covered it before with ads and blogs on Suite T and during the event as well. It was an exceptional event and one they all should be proud of.

Seeing the cooperation of the authors, Deanna Britton and Southern Writers Magazine brought back to me the importance of supporting each other. A topic I covered in the past in a Suite T Blog titled The Secrets of the Giant Redwoods and Southern Writers Magazine. Here is a portion of that below. You may read the blog in it’s entirety at this link.

The ancient redwoods live 500 to 800 years with the oldest being 2000 to 2200 years old. They do stand tall and proud and appear to do so with such great ease. Many standing over 200 feet tall. The tallest, believed to be the world’s tallest tree, is said to be 379 feet. Such great height must surely need great support and it has but not as you would think. The roots of those redwoods are only 10 to 12 feet deep. So how do they support themselves? 

Their roots may not be deep but they spread out 3 to 5 times their height. A 200-foot redwood could have roots spreading out 600 to 1,000 feet. The tallest could spread out 1100 to 1800 feet.  But that is not their only secret to their support. Each redwood tree’s roots, while spreading out to great lengths, are also intertwining with the roots of each tree in their immediate area. They support each other.

Thinking on this, I wondered what it would be like to have such a support system. Individuals intertwined with other individuals. All are supporting one, and one is supporting all. Believe it or not that is what Southern Writers Magazine was founded on. We began with the vision of “a magazine by writers and for writers”. It has developed into over 3,000 authors sharing their ideas with them. Each author like a giant redwood intertwined with other authors supporting them as they are supported.

Our hope at Southern Writers Magazine is that with this support we all can grow tall in our craft and have a long career as writers. We know with the continued support of each of you this can happen. If you haven’t joined the forest of authors do so. Add your support and enjoy the support of others. Southern Writers Magazine will be here for your continued success.  

2 Great Ideas for Getting Kids Reading

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

You may have seen the commercials. It starts with author James Patterson speaking in front of a backdrop of the American Flag. He states, “I’m James Patterson and I’m not running for President. But if I was running for President, I’d scream at every debate about getting kids reading.” Sure, it is an ad for his book cowritten with Chris Grabenstein entitled MAX EINSTEIN REBELS WITH A CAUSE but if you go to his website, he has 10 Tips for getting your kids’

reading. 

James Patterson's "10 tips to get your kids" reading

-Start today!

-Find books your kids love.

-Get a Library Card in your child's name.

-Set aside a daily "no-electronics" time for reading.

-"Buddy Read" together.

-Create a Reading Club with friends.

-Reward progress.

-Travel with your books wherever you go.

-Remember: it's up to you to make it fun.

Patterson developed these 10 Tips with Summer reading in mind but you can adjust and apply them year-round.

Another great idea to get your kids’ reading comes from England Elementary School in England Arkansas. I’m especially proud of this idea because it’s a fantastic idea and it comes from my wife’s and mine alma mater. It has received tens of thousands of likes on Facebook  and TV coverage on their local news channel out of Little Rock AR. 

It is a book vending machine. Many schools have bought into the idea and used their student activity money to purchase the $4,000 machine manufactured by Global Vending Group.  The way it works, each week there are 50-60 golden tokens awarded to children showing outstanding behavior. Those awarded may take their coin and purchase a book from the vending machine. The kids love this because as one little girl said this book is mine and I can keep it and take it home. The other books are the schools.

There has been a great interest in the book vending machine and in the exceptional behavior of the children so they can earn a golden token. It would be a way for literacy groups, book clubs, writer’s groups and the like to encourage reading. Fund raisers could easily reach the $4,000 purchase price in a short period of time.

As a grandparent of 10 I know the struggle to get our digitally minded kids to put down the screens and read a book. It can be difficult but it is possible. We have used the “no-electronics”, or as we call it digital blackout to gather the grands around the dinning room table for art, board games and reading. I enjoy seeing and hearing them take turns reading from a book they choose. It’s a magical moment for grandparents and I think your kids/grandkids will love you for it.

Labored Writing

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

With the Labor Day Holiday fresh on our minds I drifted off to an evil menace not at all related to the holiday but was awakened by it. Labored writing. I’m not sure how it is triggered, or exactly what could be the cure but I do know it is something we all get a visit from now and then.

Deadlines seem to have a pull on us in one or two directions. Some it makes us sharper and work harder under the pressure. Some of us tend to approach it like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. Then there are the few of us that tend to a combination of the two. No matter how you are approached it tend to make us labor under the spell.

Deadlines are not always the culprit. The culprit could be nothing more than procrastination. Failure to make a fast start out of the gate may lead to a slower pace down the road. A slower pace could lead to taking a sidetrack in the journey or even a layover at the next stop. Labored writing if allowed could eventually end a journey of delay it for years. How do you overcome it?

Pastor and author Bruce Wilkerson known for The Prayer of Jabez, The Secret of the Vine and several other amazing books also wrote one of my favorite books The Dream Giver. Wilkerson tells the story of a young man’s journey to reach his dream, his vision. Wilkerson tells of the obstacles this young man encounters and as you read, it becomes clear to the reader that these obstacles are the same ones each of us has encountered. Wilkerson does a great job laying out for us what to expect on our journey. As I read it, I was of an age I could look back and easily identify those obstacles of family, friends, worldly encounters and shortcomings of every sort.

Wilkerson also touches on what I believe to be true and that is each dream is a gift. A gift from a Higher Power. A gift presented only to you for you to accept and using your talents to bring it to fruition. I also perceived that should you fail to do so that gift would be passed on to another to carry out that gift, that dream which the Higher Power needs completed in their Great Plan. To be it is a “use it or lose it” process. The vision or gift must and will be completed due to the need of it within the Great Plan.

How does that relate to labored writing? Simply put…

“Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams?”  Tim Burton

As labored as writing may be at times we must think of the greater vision, the greater plan. You were not chosen for this because you were lazy. You were brought this dream because you will complete it. I do realize that we are like the Children of Israel. We are tempted, tend to get sidetracked and wander in the desert. But also remember the generation that caused the forty-year delay did not see the dream. It was others of another generation that completed the dream.

When you tell the labor of writing remember you have an opportunity, no one else has, only you can complete this vision. How uplifting!         

Expectations Under the Tuscan Sun

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Frances Mayes author of Under the Tuscan Sun was asked what her expectations were upon writing her book. Having been a Professor of Creative Writing and a poet with several books of poetry to her credit this would be her first book other than poetry based on her memories of buying, renovating and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany. She explained she expected it to sell like her books of poetry, not many.

If you have read the book or even saw the movie you are aware of the story. She brings the villa and surrounding property back to life. Again, expectations come up. As Mayes states, “It’s a story about a woman taking a risk, doing something out of her expectations.”

Written in 1996 it went to Number One on the New York Times Bestseller list and stayed there for over two years. The movie was released in 2003 and was loosely based on her book. The movie revitalized the sale of her books and to this day the success of the book amazes the author.  When Mayes was asked if she had expected this in her career as an author she said, “Isn’t it great not to be able to expect it? Because if you can expect and predict it’s not as much fun.”

Expectations are something each of us live with. Some are taken for granted while others are only hoped for. Those we take for granted are terribly missed when they no longer exist. Those hoped for are either met or exceed our expectations or they fall flat. If they fall flat, we consider it as getting our hopes up too high. If they meet or exceed, we may say we knew it was going to happen. I once asked a young girl if she had ever flown in an airplane. Her answer was, “My Daddy always told me never get higher than picking corn or lower than digging potatoes.” Thinking she may have missed the point of her Daddy’s wisdom I had to laugh. But wisdom is was. Getting your hopes and expectations up too high or even not high enough can be a dream killer.

Back to Mayes statement, “If you expect and predict it’s not as much fun.” In her case her expectations of the sales of Under the Tuscan Sun would be like her other books of poetry was like digging potatoes. It in fact was like picking corn. Now we know what she means by “If you expect and predict it’s not as much fun.”  If you write with no expectations other than fulfilling your passion. You will never be disappointed.  

 

Writing for the Cinema, Part 2

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

This is a continuation of the presentation of the author of The Rector and The Actress. Michael Hicks Thompson gave to our writer’s group, recently. We covered three of Michael’s tips in my Writing for the Cinema, Part 1 blog post on Tuesday. You may catch up there by going to this link. If you have read Part 1, then let’s continue with his tips on writing cinematically.

Structure. “Books and movies can employ the same beats – beats that can create certain rhythmic feeling inside us. This lets us know that the experience we’re having feels familiar, yet new, all at the same time.” Michael then shared with us the way to do that is with structure. “If you want your story to feel cinematic, you will need to do 2 things:

1) Read this book: Save the Cat, Blake Snyder

2) Download and use 3-Act Diagram. It’s the roadmap for the best storytelling. Once you have mastered this you can deviate. Michael uses the program Scapple to create a mind-mapping outline to streamline his book

Tension, according to Michael, should be included in every chapter, every paragraph and every sentence if possible. It should be anything interesting to keep your readers nose in the book. We have all read books that keep us on the edge of our seats. Tension between the characters plays a big part in that and a big part in the movie that could be made from the book. How many times have you finished a movie and seemed to be exhausted? Ninety minutes of tension can do that to you.

Action. Michael says there are two things an author would rather have more than anything. One is book sales and the other is a movie deal. Action will get you there. Every big story cries out for some BIG moments. A fight? Car chases? Maybe a dramatic courtroom scene. You probably just thought of your favorite ones as you read this. They punctuate the action and grab the reader.

Create Character Arcs. The technique of having your main characters change over the course of the story is a must. Every story should have such an effect on the main character that changes occur. This, character arc, is a technique that one should study.  Again, Michael reminds us to study the craft.

Michael Hicks Thompson is willing to travel to conferences, deliver this and other Keynote addresses, or workshops. Please contact Michael through his web site, michaelthompsonauthor.com for more information and a quote. This 2 part blog does NOT include all the information in the "7 Secrets of Cinematic Writing." Thompson saved his best, I'm not allowed to include it here. You'll need to bring Thompson to your next conference to see his cinematic writing presentation, his Dramatic Irony presentation, or his "7 Secrets to Mystery Writing,” as only Michael can deliver.

Writing for the Cinema, Part 1

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Award winning author, Michael Hicks Thompson’s, The Rector and The Actress, and I are members of the same writers group. Graciously, he recently gave our group his presentation concerning writing your book with the cinema in mind. He presented four similar workshops recently at Mississippi Writer’s Guild Annual Conference at the Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Miss. Thompson’s presentation at this conference is titled, “7 Secrets to Cinematic Writing.”  His books, The Rector and The Actress are currently being considered for movies because of the way they are written.

Thompson says there are two things an author would rather have more than anything. One is book sales and the other is a movie deal. He shared with us his tips on writing with the movies in mind. Some of his tips include:

Pace in your book should be the actual pace of live action or as Michael says, “Write to movie action. You should write to pace as you see it happening on the big screen,” A good way is to compare how many seconds occurred in the movie action with how many seconds occurred in the reading of your description. Compare and revise to match.

According to Michael setting the pace isn’t complicated but it does mean describing only the most important details of action, characters and the setting. With many authors this goes against the grain because there are many descriptions you could add but shouldn’t. Do not over describe. “Take out the garbage! Take out the unnecessary words and descriptions.” Things that spoil the pace is the use of the following: One of, some, thing, verbs ending in “ing”, adverbs (words ending in “ly”), very and leading words so, most times, in order to, often and often times.  

Dialogue should be real. Michael says, “You should use a lot of dialogue.” I would think so but over the decades this has seemed to change from the dialogue packed movies of the 1940’s and 50’s to todays movies with long periods of silence but expressive scenes through the visual presentation of the actors. Michael warned, “If your dialogue isn’t real, the story isn’t real.” Dialogue is an area many writers have trouble with so Michael recommends, “Study the craft.”

Show, Don’t Tell. The difference is Tell is a description, Show is done with emotion. Michael’s example.

Tell: Sheriff Turnbull then told Martha that Tully Ivey never mentioned that Dawkins said he loved her.

Show: “You wouldn’t understand. Twice now, I’ve heard her reference the note in Andrew’s hand, and not once has she mentioned the part where he says he loves me.” Michael recommends if you have trouble finding a way to “Show” buy yourself a copy of The Emotion Thesaurus. Again, study the craft.

Please know Michael Hicks Thompson is willing to travel to conferences and deliver this and my other Keynote addresses, or workshops. Please contact Michael through his web site, michaelthompsonauthor.com for more information and a quote. His website is interesting and has his current information. My blog post here on Suite T does NOT include all the information told as only Michael can tell in person about his "7 Secrets of Cinematic Writing." Thompson saved his best for last, a number 8, if you will. But I'm not allowed to include it here. You'll need to bring Thompson to your next conference to see his cinematic writing presentation, or his Dramatic Irony presentation, or his "7 Secrets to Mystery Writing." 

Stay tune for Part 2, Writing for the Cinema, Part 2 will conclude here on Suite T Thursday, August 8^th.

The Moon Shot and Woodstock

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Last week there was a celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of Man on the Moon on July 20^th, 1969. The Moon Shot is one of those vivid memories I have. Although I was 17 years old, just out of high school and headed for college, I remember where I was and who I was with watching it on TV.

A buddy of mine had gone with me to our place on the lake for a day of water-skiing. Although the carefree teenagers we were, we had a great interest in space travel and especially man on the moon. Enough so we knew the exact time to head to the shore and catch the landing live on TV. It truly was a life changing event for us and the world.

I also remember that less than 30 days later August 15-18, 1969 was another world changing event. That was the Woodstock Music Festival. Although Rock and Roll had been around since the 50’s, it had not been brought to the attention of America and the world like Woodstock did. After Woodstock Rock and Roll Stars became world renowned figures and a subculture was no longer a subculture. It soon became a most lucrative business.

What we saw that summer was the youth of our country was capable of a peaceful gathering of over 400,000 at Woodstock. I say 400,000 but some 5 million have claimed to have been at Woodstock. Maybe in their minds they were.

The other event, the Moon Shot, was carried out by not only young minds but brilliant minds. Gerry Griffin, Flight Director of Apollo 11, noted the youthful group in Mission Control in Houston. Griffin said, “The average age of those in Mission Control for the Apollo 11 flight to the moon was 27 years.” 

The two groups had basically one thing in common. They were part of the Baby Boomers generation. Beyond that common ground, individual goals seemed to be opposites. The two cultures did come together that summer and was noted brilliantly in the movie “A Walk on the Moon” with Viggo Mortensen, who has graced the cover of Southern Writers Magazine as a poet, and Diane Lane. A love story took a summer vacationing couple in upstate New York from gathering to watch the Moon Landing to attending the nearby Woodstock Music Festival.

Bringing people together with a background of two life changing events is a great concept. This is a common theme with historical romance and other historical fiction. As a child reading historical fiction really made history interesting to me. I would encourage writers to pay close attention to current events being aware it may be something to use in their writing.

In a February 2013 Suite T Blog post titled, "Story Plots from Carrier and the Sistine Chapel." I wrote of using the event of refurbishing the Sistine Chapel by Carrier as a story line. One thing I mentioned was writing about what the Carrier, United Technologies, engineers found in the 10-foot-thick walls of the chapel. Déjà vu! Last week thousands of bones were found in a hidden chamber in the Vatican. So now that is part of real history you may want to use that to solve a murder, uncover a conspiracy or a disappearance. Keep you mind and eyes open to current events. You may find the background story you are looking for.