The Art of Storytelling

By Phyllis f. McManus

As a little girl growing up in the country, our families lived only a stone throw away from one another.

My grandparents’ house was a daily adventure for me and all my cousins. Hot summer days were spent on grandmother’s front porch with Grandmother being the center of attention. All eyes would focus on her as she told another one of her ghost stories.

There is a difference in good storytelling and great story telling. My Grandmother was a great storyteller. It seemed to come natural.

Every one of her stories had its beginning, something happened and then the ending. It had foundation and structure, but I’m sure she didn’t plan it that way. She was old school; living in a time that story telling was made for fun. Her audience was always a group of kids sitting at her feet as she rocked in her rocker. She could tell us a ghost story and draw us into her adventure like a catfish on a rusty hook. Yes, she was a master of storytelling. She could take us on a journey of haunted houses, ghostly graveyards, headless horsemen and dark stormy nights with just a few words with anticipation in her voice. She used her gentle way of storytelling to teach us how to plant a garden, get alone with others and how to make good decisions. Of course at our age, we had no idea she was molding our young brains. We just knew we were having the time of our lives enjoying Grandmother spin tales of spooky characters.

I’m sure Grandmother planted a seed of storytelling in me. I have used several of her characters in my books. As a writer you absorb information in an abundance of ways. Mine came while sitting either at the feet of my grandmother or on her lap.

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Phyllis f. McManus is an author of eight books. She writes Southern fiction with a touch of mystery and suspense. Her most treasured work is her two award winning non-fiction short stories that appear in her latest book, “Southern Patchwork Quilt.”    “The Southern Belle Breakfast Club” series is causing a stir in the reader’s world. She brings life to a group of older Southern women who treasure their bond of friendship. She started writing for therapy when she lost both parents in a car accident. She soon discovered writing was a journey for her recovery. Phyllis and her husband, Don, live in North Carolina. When she isn’t busy writing and public speaking, they enjoy traveling. They cherish life with their son and grandson who lives on six acres of land they call McManus Hill.

      

                                                                       

                       

Never Give Up!

By Phyllis f. McManus

My husband and I will soon be celebrating our 48th wedding anniversary. We no longer call our advanced age "old." We have decided to call it gracefully entering "adulthood." This gives me peace of mind when I receive phone calls from telemarketer's trying to sell me more life insurance or a plan for my final days.

Goodness, this Southern lady might get hit  by a truck while doing my 5 mile jog or I might slip on the diving board while swimming my 25 laps for the day. OK, I'm really not doing either one of those things, but I guess I could if I at least tried.

Make yourself a bucket list and try to achieve one of your goals at least once a month. This will help keep your mind strong, your heart ticking and a pep in your step. Never let old age creep into your mind and destroy your happiness. Remember turning that corner into adulthood is a blessing we are given.  There are endless possibilities in this world. 

Go out and live your life to the fullest. It might be writing the next best seller or achieving a goal of reading a large number of books. It's your choice, but enjoy what ever path your journey takes you.

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Phyllis f. McManus is a Southern Fiction writer who enjoys living in North Carolina. She is active in public speaking giving people a glimpse on how writing has helped her through a tragic situation in her life. Her books include "Forever Girl," "The Long Dirt Road," "The Lie That Binds," " The Ghost of Deep Gap," " Do I Know Me?," "The Southern Belle Breakfast Club," "Southern Secrets," and "Southern Patchwork Quilt." Her books are found on Amazon/Kindle.com, Barnes and Noble, Wal-Mart.com, Goodreads and several book stores and libraries.

She can be found on Facebook as Author Phyllis f. McManus.

Her blog is http://my3heartbeats.simplesite.com/ 

Changing Directions

By Phyllis f. McManus

I’ve been revisiting some of my first books over the past several weeks. I was anxious to see if I still approved of my style of writing or if I should decide to change and go into an entirely different direction.

I started writing in the late part of 2002 when I lost both my parents in a car accident. I had lost not only my parents, but myself as well.  After several discussions with my doctor, I decided to start writing as a form of therapy.

I took a deep breath, placed pen in hand and started writing about Momma and Daddy. I kept an old picture in front of me of my parents and me as a child. I hoped this would keep me pointed in the right direction.

I wrote with a fury, throwing my heart and soul into each page. After putting more tears on the paper than words I decided to go from nonfiction to fiction, change directions and continue with writing.  This seemed to work for me, and after a few months I had my first book called Forever Girl. It was set in the 1930’s.

I found that for some reason I liked placing my characters in these years, but research was a must for getting the exact clothing, cars and even news events correct for this time period.

After a couple of books in this time zone, I changed directions and decided to write in the time period of around 2010. By now my style of writing had actually started to change also. I found my characters becoming sassy, much more Southern and had a slight attitude. This was a sure sign that writing had become just what the doctor had ordered for me.

I have enjoyed my journey of writing and recommend it to everyone that needs a change in their life. It might be simply writing in a diary or keeping a journal of their everyday memories.

Changing directions in one’s life can be hard, but it can also be a rewarding event. After eight books, public speaking, and several articles for magazines, I am proof of this fact. Never settle for one direction in life. Take a chance and go for whatever your dreams may be. You will never know unless you try.

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Phyllis f. McManus is a Southern fiction writer. She lives in North Carolina and enjoys her country way of living. Her community is small and everyone knows one another. They are always eager to be a helping hand in suggesting her plots for her next book. She draws a lot of her imagination from her neighbors and friends. Magically, they become her characters with the names being changed. She has published eight books and is currently working on two more.