The Spell of Historical Fiction

By Murray Andrew Pura

Murray Pura’s “Beautiful Skin”, published by MillerWords out of Mount Dora, Florida, is a World War II Romance based somewhat on his family’s real-life experiences. He shares with us his thoughts on how to write compelling historical fiction, or as he says, how to weave the “spell”.

People that read historical fiction primarily want two things: they want to be entertained (something common to every reader) and they want to be educated (something that is not common to every reader). Moreover, they want the education aspect to be pleasant and painless. Many of them avoid the reading of history books because they find them dull. They want their history to be as exciting as an action film with lots of layers of plot and character development and intrigue and romance. The writer of historical fiction is expected to deliver if he and she want to have a growing fan base and better than average sales.

So the entertainment part is a given for any genre of fiction: offer up characters the reader soon begins to care about, create an intriguing plot with plenty of subplots and dramatic twists and turns, and bring about a conclusion that satisfies, even if the tears are flowing.   

The education part is trickier. Historical fiction fans want to feel like time travelers. They are excited about living in the past, not just reading about it. They want to feel as if they are really there: the clothing, the cooking, the houses, and the ways of getting around (whether by Model A Ford or by chariot) have to feel like the real thing. Every aspect of the story needs to be authentic. They don’t want to find out that the author got the airplanes wrong, or the firearms, or the dresses, or the dialects, or the politics.

Another part of the fun is truly being in the past, so far as the imagination goes, and finding out what you would have done if you really had lived during that era and experienced a dramatic turning point in history (Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Saratoga in the American Revolution, the rule of Henry VIII, the fall of the Roman Empire). So readers need to be able to identify with some of the main characters and some of the lesser characters too as, along with them, they make decisions that not only affect their personal destinies but the destinies of nations. This means that, coupled with meticulous research into the historical era represented in the story, the author must possess the skills to make history live, and make it so personal the reader is there, is feeling the tension and the pain and the wonder, and believes their actions make a difference to the fate of thousands, if not millions.

That’s a big part of the draw and the thrill of historical fiction: hearts really beat, lips really touch, blood really flows . . .  the fictional world is real . . . history comes alive in human skin and emotions and spirit . . . and the reader is a part of it, making history happen. This is the reality the writer must pursue with his research; this is the I-am-there feeling the author must bring to pass with the power of her story and the power of the words she weaves.

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Murray Andrew Pura is the author of more than a dozen novels, two collections of short stories, and several non-fiction titles including the Zondervan books Rooted and Streams, as well as the Baker devotional Majestic & Wild. Born in Canada, he is a recent transplant to New Mexico. His first novel was released in Toronto in 1988 and was a finalist for the Dartmouth Book Award. Pura has been a finalist for several awards in the US and Canada, including the $25,000 Kobzar Literary Award for his novel Zo. In 2012, Pura won the Word Award of Toronto for Best Historical Novel for The White Birds of Morning. Connect with the author on Facebook. MillerWords is a Florida based independent publisher of positive and inspirational books for all ages that can be found online at www.MillerWords.com or on Facebook at FB.com/MillerWords.

Writer’s Conference––Should I Go or Not?

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief for Southern Writers Magazine 

Do you ever wonder why you should go to a writer’s conference?

Do you come up with reasons to go or not to go?

If you asked that question to a room full of writers, you would likely get an equal amount of reasons for both––go or not go.

The top reasons people give to not go are:

Cost too much money.

Don’t have the time.

Too much to do.

Don’t want to travel far.

Don’t know anyone there.

The top reasons people give to go are:

To meet other writers.

Learn more about the craft of writing.

Make new friends.

Meet agents and editors.

Get inspired.

You may not be able to attend every conference but you can choose one conference for the year. 

Perhaps one that is closer to your home. Less expensive than some; determine your priorities at work and home and complete them freeing up time you need away. There are plenty of conferences that are just on the weekends, two days.

Create a mindset to look forward to meeting new friends who have the same interest as you. These friendships are precious gems that last a lifetime.

Above all, look at the reasons you give, and make sure they aren’t excuses.

After all, there are conferences just about all year. Enjoy your conference!

Writing Powerful Dialogue

By Ed Protzel, Author of The Lies That Bind:DarkHorse Trilogy, Book 1

One of the things that originally drew me to classic Southern fiction was its compelling dialogue. From Tennessee Williams’ Streetcar Named Desire, we’ll never forget broken Blanche DuBois’ pitiful “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” nor even Stanley Kowalski’s simple, desperate “Stella!” In Faulkner’s great Absalom, Absalom!, Charles Bon’s “—So it’s the miscegenation, not the incest, which you can’t bear” reveals in one sentence the novel’s social themes with authority.

In my interview on LA Talk Radio’s “The Writer’s Block,”  hosts Jim Christina and Bobbi Bell asked how I created such powerful dialogue in my antebellum South thriller, The Lies That Bind: DarkHorseTrilogy, Book 1. Frankly, my reply to them wasn’t very revealing, and I’ve thought about what I should have said ever since. So, expiating my sin of omission, here are some keys to writing memorable dialogue.

Characters with Strong Points of View

If you have strong, intelligent characters with strong points of view—obsessions are especially excellent—they’ll tell you, the writer, what they want to say. All you’ve got to do is transcribe their words. I generally find my characters telling me what they desperately need to express in a scene I’m working on when I wake up in the morning, when taking a shower, or even exercising. These often prove to be the best lines in the book.

For example, in The Lies That Bind, the wealthy Missus French runs the town, but because of her traumatic past with men, she is now a recluse who disdains people. So when her heir, Devereau, cajoles her to make her [dreaded] annual Easter pilgrimage to the church in town, she reveals her complete estrangement from society and its institutions with: “I don’t see why I have to go to church simply because That Man rose from the dead.”

Limitations Lead to Irony/Humor

Novels also contain dialogue that, because the reader has superior position, makes the character’s misstatements ironic, humorous, and fraught with meaning. In Faulkner’s masterpiece, Absalom, Absalom!, Wash Jones’ never-say-die exclamation about the Southern war effort, “They kilt us…but they ain’t whupped us yit, air they?” is unforgettable. In my novel, minor character Ellen is a young innocent who believes she is being guided by God to free all the slaves in town, so she secretly sews a ridiculous gown she believes is seductive. When her naive scheme takes her unannounced into Devereau French’s bedroom, revealing the terrified Devereau’s most awkward secret, Ellen is so confused and self-conscious, all she can say is, “Don’t you never tell nobody you seen me wearing this”—which readers often quote to me.

When you write a novel, you live intimately with your characters for a long time. If you listen closely to their needs and desires, they’ll write some unforgettable dialogue for you. But be sure you quote them accurately and honestly—it’s only fair :)

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Ed Protzel has the unique perspective of a mixed-heritage Jew-Cherokee, who lived for a time in an orphanage and later as a teen runaway, gives Ed Protzel special insights into characters that are outsiders, men and women on lonely quests seeking justice, love, and fulfillment against society’s blindness. The Lies That Bind, a darkly ironic antebellum South thriller, is the first book in Ed’s DarkHorse Trilogy. Ed has also written five original screenplays for feature film and developed scripts/projects for 20^th Century Fox. Ed earned his master’s degrees in English literature/creative writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and his bachelor’s in English at the University of Hawaii. Ed had a dual career for over twenty years, working as an investments advisory manager for Fortune 100 firms, while writing screenplays and novels. Ed’s expertise as a novelist and screenwriter is in the American tragicomedy movement (Faulkner, Twain, Tennessee Williams, Flannery O’Connor), science fiction, Shakespeare, and a variety of historical periods, including World War II, the American Civil War, and Fourteenth Century Europe. The final two books in his DarkHorse Trilogy include many of the same major characters as the original: Honor Among Outcasts, set in Missouri during the Civil War (2017), and Something in Madness, set in the 1880s (2018). Ed is married and lives in St. Louis, where he writes full time and teaches college English as an adjunct. His social media links are website: http://www.edprotzel.com/

Ed Protzel blog: http://www.edprotzel.com/blog/ Facebook   Twitter  Goodreads

How Do I Write My Books and What Inspires Me to Write?

By Roger Rapel

Good questions, some writers have to sit down and people watch then research their chosen subject matter. Then seek inspiration to format the work into a readable manuscript.

Just a little about myself I spent 30 years in the UK police retiring as a Detective Sergeant. Within that period I investigated many serious crimes including murders, rapes, kidnapping and child abuse. I therefore have the subject matter I write about already in my head, including the format without having to research and check on procedural aspects.

In that respect I am lucky, whilst I continue to write about crime and the investigative aspects I can use recall to put pen to paper so to speak.

Whilst in the police when concluding investigations I was required to submit thorough reports highlighting the pertinent points to prove a case. This included evidence gained from a scene, exhibits photographs etc. all these had to be placed in chronological order so they were able to prove the case.

It is with that chronological case handling procedure that I write my books. In some respects I lack the embellishment skills of some writers and prefer to keep the themes I write about moving at a fast pace. I have read some books where the embellishment was so long and out of context that they became boring, causing me to lose interest.

I try to make my books interesting to the reader by creating a character that is the centre of the investigations. Detective Sergeant Jim Broadbent is a hard working beer drinking, womanising individual. I wanted to get away from the saintly detective with a halo around his head whilst sat on his white charger as he fights crime. By creating his persona I selected a few personalities and moulded them into Broadbent. Am I in there? I plead the Fifth Amendment on that question. The police the same as other frontline workers have a defence mechanism of humour and alcohol to reduce the stress from what they see and deal with.

By creating this love or hate him character it leaves the reader to use his discretion when reading as to whether they agree or disagree with how Broadbent leads his life. But what Broadbent does do, is fight crime to the detriment of his marriage due to his long hours and dedication.

In my latest book ‘Retribution’ Broadbent is called to a suspected murder scene where the body of man so badly beaten his face is reduced to pulp and unrecognisable. The investigation takes Broadbent on twists and turns ending on the doorstep of MI5 and the CIA. In amongst this is a woman Tanya who is seeking murderous retribution on the men who have wronged her, who is she?

Broadbent becomes frustrated at the false information he is being fed. Where will it end??

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Roger Rapel was born just after the Second World War, and brought up in the austerity of rationing in the fifties. I left school with no formal qualifications at 15, entering the University of Life. I bummed around from job-job, including service as a merchant seaman, I then joined the police. Spending 30 years in the UK police; retiring as a detective sergeant. During that time I served in many depts. including tactical firearms, drug squad,CID and Crime Squads to name a few, but was always front line. I’m the author of Retribution, Missing, Gift or Curse, Abducted and Cindy Where Are You. My social media links are:  Website: www.rogerrapel.com  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/david_parle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.parle1 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-parle  

Publisher: Ravenswood publishing

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Good Morning America anchor Dan Harris wrote the book 10% Happier as a personal inspirational memoir in 2014.  Harris described the pressures of being a news correspondent and anchor which led to a devastating live on the air panic attack.               

Harris went on to explain how he felt and what he did about it. With help from his friends and celebrities, who also suffered from anxiety, his book has become a must read for meditation.

Writing a personal inspiration memoir is nothing new. Many have done so out of a feeling of gratitude that they survived the event. The event could be everything from an illness, an accident, a financial loss or marital disaster. Many of us have experienced such challenges and many have overcome them. Why not share the experience and the solution you found and help others do the same. I think it is a great idea. But how do we know we have a topic people are interested in or a topic that will reach a lot of people by reading your book. Here are some ideas that may help.

1)     Awareness:  Like many of us we tend to ignore things that do not affect us. Once it is brought to our attention we suddenly see it everywhere. It’s like buying a new car and once you get it home it seems like everyone in town has one like it.  

2)     The need to share:  The same is true for others finding you share a common problem with them. Once discovered they become eager to share their experience and solutions with you. You can use this to further your goal and share their secrets as well as yours with others suffering from your fate.

3)     Organizations:  Another resource would be organizations that assist those stricken with your problem. They are always a good source of information and can easily be found. Google and you will find the list is long.

4)     Endorsements: Dan Harris sought the endorsement of others suffering from anxiety or experienced the benefits of meditation. This too can be helpful but carefully choose among those that are willing to stand with you. Make sure they do not distract from your goal by being unpopular, controversial or counter-productive in any way. If they have a positive celebrity status it could go a long way

My wife and I having had such events in our lives have yet to write our memoir but are quick to share with others if we feel they are interested and want to hear. We have done so by speaking to groups large or small or simply introducing ourselves to others once we notice they share our circumstance. When all is said and done you could make a difference in the lives of others and this will make a difference in yours.     

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR ANTAGONIST

By Elizabeth Kitchens

Which character do you think of first when someone mentions Star Wars? Luke, Leia, R2-D2…Darth Vader? I would hazard to guess many say Darth Vader, though he is the antagonist. After all, Darth Vader does have the power of the force, a cool outfit, and a surprising backstory.

Although not every antagonist can have such a distinctive look, every antagonist does need to be a strong character. Yet, the temptation when planning a novel is to focus on the protagonist and how awesome she is, or what he is going to achieve. The antagonist merely shows up to make the hero look good and to move the story along, potentially resulting in weak conflict and a cardboard villain. And nothing kills a story like weak conflict and flat characters. I know. I’ve done enough rewrites to fix these issues to have that stamped on my writer heart.

As K.M. Weiland of helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com says, the antagonist forces—the villains and obstacles the hero must overcome—are what drive the story. They create the conflict necessary to have a story. Not all stories have villains, of course, so the opposing force might be a natural disaster, a character flaw that must be overcome (think Scrooge’s greedy, unloving attitude in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol), or an obstacle to romance. Whatever it is, it must be a worthy opponent. It must keep the protagonist from reaching his or her goals.

So when brainstorming your next novel, spare some thought early on for the antagonist force. Ask the same questions of your antagonist as you would of your protagonist—goal, motivation, plans to achieve it, how far will he or she go to achieve it, internal and external conflicts. Ask whether or not your antagonist force—and thus the conflict—is sufficient to challenge the protagonist for the entire story. Does the antagonist have a really good reason to challenge the protagonist—how is the protagonist keeping the antagonist from her goals? Will the antagonist consistently raise the stakes against the protagonist in a way that is true to the antagonist’s goals, or does he simply show up when an action scene is needed?

Once you have a solid grip on what your antagonist wants, how he plans to achieve it, and how that conflicts with what your hero wants, then you will be able to clearly identify how your hero will react. Then how your antagonist will respond to that, and then how your hero will react, and so on, until you have a logical story outline.

A great antagonist could be a highlight of the story, and an underdeveloped one could be why the story isn’t working. After all, what would Star Wars be without Darth Vader? Or Pride and Prejudice without Darcy’s pride and Lizzie’s prejudice?

May the antagonist force be with you.

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Elizabeth Jane Kitchens loves tales of romance, adventure, and happily-ever-afters and strives to write such tales herself. When she’s not thinking about dashing heroes or how awesome bacteria are—she is a microbiologist after all—she’s probably photographing flowers, telling people she’s crocheting not knitting, or talking about classic books and black-and-white movies. Elizabeth is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is the author of The Beast’s Enchantress. You can learn more about her at her website www.elizabethjanekitchens.com. Twitter: @e_kitchens

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ekitchens0132/ 

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJaneKitchens

The Other Faces of Conflict

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


When we think of antagonists from literature, we typically think of the classic villains like Captain Hook, Injun Joe, The Wicked Witch of the West, Hannibal Lecter, Dracula, and the other memorable personifications of evil.  But there are many other faces of conflict not of the human variety that can be put to good use in a story.

Many children's books choose not to pit the hero against another person.  Instead, the dilemma comes from a small difficulty that can be turned into a problem-solving life lesson.  A terrific example is Pete the Cat, who loves his white shoes. When he steps in strawberries that turn his shoes red, what follows is a simple but brilliant story about learning to accept and love yourself, cleverly disguised as a tale about shoes.

Even as adults, conflict in story teaches us to deal with life, each dilemma in its own small way representing the eternal struggle.  A problem is a problem, no matter what form it takes.  Here, then, are some classic inhuman antagonists:

Man vs Beast
What's worse than someone you can't even reason with?  How about someone that wants to eat you? Ask the heroes of Jaws if their adversary doesn't pose a lethal threat.  The irony is that the shark isn't fishing for trouble; he's just doing what comes naturally 'cause it's feeding time.  Likewise, the great white whale in Moby Dick may or may not understand the concept of revenge, but it knows all about self-preservation.

The Great Outdoors
Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of many examples of a protagonist trying to survive in the wilderness. Again, there is irony in the fact that a forest, waterfall, mountain, etc mean no harm; they don't even have a conscience.  But it's a jungle out there, and a babe in the woods goes back to basic human survival.

Not to say that a tornado or a tempest can't stir up some additional trouble on their own.  The Perfect Storm, Earthquake and Twister are cinematic examples of how Mother Nature can be a real shrew.

Hard Times
Nellie Olsen wasn't the only thorn in Laura Ingalls' side in her Little House on the Prairie books.  Tales set in the Old West are particularly filled with the struggle just to make it through life under primitive or poverty-stricken conditions. Mix in some of the previous elements like a grizzly bear or no rain for growing crops and you have a multi-layered prairie of pain.

Conflict in Nonfiction
Even when we're writing nonfiction, it's not hard to find conflict because life wouldn't be life without it.  My recently-published short story "Family Tree" in Stories of Music, Volume 2 is primarily a retrospective of the musical family I grew up in.  I wasn't particularly seeking a way to add conflict or even drama to this memoir; it just happened organically because it was a tragedy that put a stop to the musical collaboration in my family, and, ironically, another tragedy is what brought it all back with new magic.

A good guy facing off against a bad guy is classic drama.  But fighting off the challenges of everyday life are readily available story helpers to add extra conflict, or take it out of the mano a mano realm altogether.

How to Write a Book in Five Months or Less in Your Spare Time, Part Two

By Theresa Oliver

Part Two continues today from Theresa Oliver. Part One appeared on Friday, Feburary 3, 2017.

   

MY WRITING PLAN:

I decided to write two scenes per chapter, with each chapter between 10-20 pages. Then, I decided that I needed to write at least twenty chapters per book. At writing one chapter per week, I soon finished my book in less than five months.  And you can, too.  

It’s important to note that on some weeks, I could write more, which was great. But if there was a day that I couldn’t write, I remembered my commitment to write at least one chapter a week and didn’t beat myself up over it. Since then, I have written six books with more to come.

BOOK DESIGN: Along with being a published author, I am also a teacher. When I was teaching middle school, I wanted to encourage my students to write and began researching ways to break writing down into digestible bites. That is when I found Fraytag’s Plot Pyramid, one of the best descriptors of how a short story—and novel—is written.

If you notice, here is how Fraytag broke down plot: introduction, rising action, conflict (not pictured), climax, falling action, resolution (not pictured), and denouement. It’s important to note that Fraytag said that three-fourths of the action happens on the left side of the pyramid, and only one-fourth happens on the right. After all, once the conflict is resolved, there is no story, right?

WRITING YOUR BOOK:

When you start writing your book, do not waste too much time on back story. Introduce your characters, basic plot, and conflict in your first chapter, and hit the ground running right away. Start your book off in the action. Give the reader enough information to get to know the characters, but do not linger there. You can give the reader the details of the character’s past as needed. Remember: your readers are on a need-to-know basis. As writers, we must hook the reader within the first chapter, or else why should the reader continue to reading?

It’s important to note that at the end of each chapter, the writer must leave a bit of a cliffhanger to keep the reader coming back for more. Only one sentence or two will do, but no more. This will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next, and will keep the reader turning the page.

Also, when you first sit down to write your book, do not worry about knowing every detail that will happen during the course of your book. When I sit down to start writing a new book, I know what will happen at the beginning, middle, and end, but only in points: point A, point B, etc., but the beauty of writing is in connecting the dots, using scenes to connect the points together into a cohesive book. So, don’t fret if you don’t know everything that will happen in your book right away. Trust your characters and let them lead you—but only to a point. It’s important for the writer to maintain control of the direction of his or her book. I always have a mental outline of my book, but if you are one to write out a detailed outline, then do it! Just don’t be governed by it. Use it as a writing plan, but don’t be afraid to deviate from it when needed … as long as you keep your book on track, headed toward your intended outcome.

CONCLUSION:

So, this is the strategy that I use to write my books and you can, too. You might think that it just can’t be this simple, but it is. The most important thing to do is to follow the plan and to do it. Don’t let the vision of writing a whole book intimidate you. Do for yourself what I did for my students: break it down into digestible bites, set a goal, then make a plan to achieve your goal—and stick to it! You can do it. Whether you are a seasoned veteran published author or a novice to the writing game, you, too, can write a book in five months or less in your spare time.

Happy writing!

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Theresa Oliver grew up in southern Indiana, across from Louisville, Kentucky, in Clarksville, Indiana. In her childhood, she fell in love with the power of the written word, a love affair that has continued her whole life. She moved to Florida, where she has lived much of her adult life. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, Tenn., and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree, News Editorial sequence. She also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, Early Childhood Education sequence, from Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, Ga. She is currently a writer, a full-time teacher, and the owner of Write More Publications and TNT Author Services. However, her greatest adventure is as a mother of three beautiful boys. Oliver currently resides in Kissimmee, Florida, with her husband and children.

How to Write a Book in Five Months or Less in Your Spare Time, Part One

By Theresa Oliver

I’m very excited to be here and want you to have a takeaway that will help you to write your own book in five months or less in your spare time, using my own strategy.

Part One

INTRODUCTION:

A few years ago, I had worked long and hard writing my first book, but my work was far from over. But I had quickly caught writing fever and was determined to write more books. So, I started a short story page on Facebook—this was before WattPad—and started writing three books at the same time. Almost immediately, I attracted readers and soon my audience grew. But although I was writing my heart out each week, I still hadn’t finished writing another book. I wanted to develop a plan to finish another book, but I didn’t want it to take as long as it had the first time.

MY RATIONALE:

Then, one day I read an article that changed my perspective on writing. The article said that when asked how he writes, John Grisham said that he set a goal to write at least five pages a day. Before long, he has another book written. I didn’t have the time to write every day, but the important thing I took away from the article was that it was important to set a goal for yourself—and stick with it.

So, I asked myself, “What is a reasonable goal that I can set for myself, that I can stick to?” I was quite busy at that time, but I knew that every Friday night and Saturday morning, I was free. So, the goal I set for myself was to write one chapter a week, and I planned to use that time in which to do it.

I had a plan, now for the execution.

When most people look at writing a book, they look at the whole book. And, to tell you the truth, it’s pretty daunting. The same was true for me. So, I began to think of my book in chapters, to break it down into digestible bites. Then, I asked myself, “What is consistent in chapters?” The answer: scenes. Next, I asked myself, “How many pages should a chapter be?” I decided that I wanted my book to be approximately four hundred pages long, so I decided that each chapter should be between ten to twenty pages. One scene was approximately ten pages, so I needed two well-developed scenes per chapter.

Part Two of my blog post will appear on Monday, February 6, 2017.

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Theresa Oliver grew up in southern Indiana, across from Louisville, Kentucky, in Clarksville, Indiana. In her childhood, she fell in love with the power of the written word, a love affair that has continued her whole life. She moved to Florida, where she has lived much of her adult life. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, Tenn., and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree, News Editorial sequence. She also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, Early Childhood Education sequence, from Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, Ga. She is currently a writer, a full-time teacher, and the owner of Write More Publications and TNT Author Services. However, her greatest adventure is as a mother of three beautiful boys. Oliver currently resides in Kissimmee, Florida, with her husband and children.

Turn the World on with Your Writing

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine 

Last week, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mary Tyler Moore. She was a personal hero of mine and judging by social media comments last week, I am not alone. Through her work, she encouraged women to be strong and independent. As a high schooler watching the  September 1970 pilot show, I was enlightened by her Mary Richards character. At a time when women were breaking out of the mold of graduating from high school to become someone's wife, Mary Richards was a soft feminist, daring us to be our own person before walking down the aisle.

It never occurred to me then, but there were female writers on this show which is why it resonated with it's fan base. However, the show was rejected by critics. Time magazine called the show a "disaster." Like all authors know, critiques are just an opinion and have very little to do with ultimate success once a fan base is developed. The MTM show was ground breaking, and I think it had to do with the fact that the show had more women writers than ever before. It was a time when women were breaking career barriers. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's book, Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted: And All the Brilliant Minds Who Made TheMary Tyler Moore Show a Classic, captures much of the behind the scenes of the show's memorable characters.

These character's interaction with each other wove a family of friends who cared about each other's hopes dreams and ambitions. Their character flaws balance the annoying and flawed traits found in each character which endeared them into their fans' hearts. The characters all revolved around the lead character and intertwined in each other's lives because of the lead character's influence. Like the theme song for the show the lead character did "Turn the World on with Her Smile." 

Each author wants these kind of successful characters for their fans. Take a page from Mary Tyler Moore's writers and develop a strong lead with flawed secondary characters. Develop characters that will "Turn the World on with your Writing."

Writing Chalk Poetry

By Robyn Hancock

I am a multi-media poet who writes about anything and everything, forever contemplating different ideas to present my poetry.  When I get an idea for a piece of writing I will briefly make notes in my ‘drafting book’ or mobile phone. I then revisit and refine the initial notes, crafting them into a poem. The duration from the ‘spark of inspiration’ through to the final product varies extensively, along with the genre and structure. 

Whilst I love performing my poetry, I really wanted to give it the exposure I felt it deserved, beyond the internet and publication in books. It took several attempts of busking and placing copies of my work around the main town centre before I came up with the idea of using chalk on the sidewalk, nearly four years ago now.

The whole point of doing chalk poetry is to make writing, literature accessible for everyone and not just the selected few.  I enjoy adding to the urban tapestry of everyday life, offering insight and creative inspiration without being obtrusive. It took a couple of years to develop and hone the execution of my work so that it had an effortless appearance that was distinctive and easily recognised as my work.  There is some variation in the layout, depending on the available space but the font is very uniform to allow clarity and ease for the reader who may only have a few seconds to glance at it before moving on.  As writers it is important to consider the needs of our readers, for they are essential in the entire process.

In order to keep the concept ‘fresh’ I vary the locations, including a blackboard situated outside the front of a disused shop next to the town library.  After chalking out a poem, I post the images online. 

Many of the local residents are supportive of the concept, giving positive feedback.

Who knows where it might end up next!

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Born in Whakatane, New Zealand, Robyn Hancock was raised in Gisborne for most of her childhood.  At the age of seven, with the aid of her grandmother’s typewriter and Robbie Burns books, a career in poetry was forged. The development of her on-stage persona began, debuting at the Waikato University Capping Review, in the mid-1990s. Moving to Auckland became the catalyst for performing at various open mike events, including Poetry Live. Making the journey in 2000 to England created many opportunities as a writer and performer. Whilst living in London, she became part of the underground arts scene combining her passions of abstract art, multi-media publication and performance poetry. Coming home in 2011, accompanied with her son and partner, she returned to the stage shortly afterwards.  Attempts to busking lead to the birth of her chalk poetry, which is often woven within Gisborne’s town centre. Recent achievements include being published in www.headlinesnz.wordpress.com Turanganui Poets Collective, Volume 1(hardcopy) and exhibiting video footage and images in the Random Artists, London, and exhibition in November 2016.