Do you like the evil guy in the movie?

Do you believe in evil? Richard Gere says he doesn’t believe in evil. He believes in darkness, but not evil. He believes people suffer from mental illness and that makes them do evil things. He doesn’t believe a person is thoroughly evil throughout. Even the worst of us has some good in us. The meanest guy has a soft spot. 

That’s what makes the characters in our fiction interesting. Perhaps the girl in our story is married to a man who, when angry with her, throws her little dog out of the door so hard, it breaks the puppy’s leg. When, afraid for her own life, she leaves him, he slits the throat of her cat.

Now, that makes me despise this character.  But later in the story we see that same man kneeling by an elderly, white haired woman in a wheelchair, her hand stroking his head that rests in her lap. We see tears on his cheeks. We hear him call her Mama. Then we rethink his evilness. He does love somebody and sheds tears with her.  Now he becomes a more interesting character. Actors like to play this character. We like to read about him. 

I don’t like unreal characters, characters who are all bad or all good. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have some good and some bad in him. One of the sweetest men I ever knew, cheated on his wife. One of the kindest women I’ve ever known is a huge gossip  about other women.

Think of characters from books you loved. Only in fairy tales do we have the perfect prince and the perfect princess. We know they aren’t real. We like people who have light and dark sides. I think a person who is always light-hearted and ultra positive is afraid of showing her true colors.

What about Scarlet O’Hara? What about Pretty Woman? I loved Richard Gere in Pretty Woman because he had that greed, selfishness and need for revenge. And Julia Roberts was a prostitute. But she was one of the most endearing characters of modern time. Richard Gere, the staring male, who could not show emotion, finally let his gentle side, his goodness come through. But neither he nor the pretty woman was perfect. That is why we love them.

What do you think about real people who never have a dark moment, feel sadness, or cry? Are your favorite characters in books and movies the good guys or the ones with some flaw? Who are they?

Congratulations, Pat Davis

I recommend that all writers read this post if you plan to submit a manuscript for publication. My friend, Pat Davis, has succeeded in finding a traditional publisher for her romantic mystery.

I met Pat at a NCWN Conference in 2007 while waiting for the elevator. I liked her immediately and when I found her home was Brevard, NC, we embraced her and welcomed her into the group of Netwest writers who had come to the conference. 

Pat lived in Pennsylvania at the time, but is now home again in Brevard. I hope to see her more often once she is settled in her new house.

Here is the link to her most recent post. http://novelistapproach.blogspot.com/2012/09/road-to-getting-published.html

You can find her blog link on the sidebar of this blog.

Take note of how many times she read her work and revised her work. Good writers are good re-writers.

CANDY SCHOLARSHIP FUND EXPANDS BOARD

The Candy Scholarship Fund has disbanded and is no more. Nov 1, 2017


Women writers of Western North Carolina, do you know about the Candy Maier Scholarship Fund? I have known women connected with the Candy fund for a few years now - before they had an online presence - and I support their work as they help women financially to attend workshops or writing conferences.

The Candy Fund offers scholarships to attend the NCWN Writers Conferences, classes at John C. Campbell Folk School for writers, and they will give scholarships for Writers Circle classes.

To apply for a scholarship you complete a form and write a short essay explaining why you need the scholarship. The Board of the Candy Fund must have your application in hand well before the date of the event because the Candy Fund Board must see the application to rule on it. 

Candy Fund leaders, Gwendie Camp(f. right) and Cheryl Diethrich (right, back)visited Murphy, NC , were hosted by Mary Ricketson, Mary Jo Dyer and Glenda Beall

In an article in a newspaper today I see where two new board members have been chosen for the Candy Fund.

http://www.mountainx.com/article/45517/Writing-scholarship-fund-names-new-directors

The Candy Maier Fund: Scholarships for Women Writers, which awards scholarships to Western North Carolina residents to participate in shared writing experiences, announces two new members joining the Board of Directors.

Jane Dawson is a poet and has been an Asheville resident for six years. She brings extensive experience in financial management and will serve as Secretary-Treasurer. Jane looks forward to working with a non-profit that brings a sense of empowerment to other writers.

Betsy Fletcher, a personal essayist, moved to the area in 2009. Her connection to Western North Carolina covers forty years due to her connection with Camp Rockbrook and her love of mountains. Writing retreats at Lake Logan, facilitated by Peggy Millin, introduced her to Candy Maier, for whom the Fund is named. Betsy has an interest in innovative fund-raising.

Other members of the Board are Jennifer Browning, English Instructor at A-B Tech, Whitney George, writer and blogger, long-established author-editor Celia Miles and new author Martha McMullen. The Candy Fund welcomes both applications and donations throughout the year and currently has an opening for a Board member to begin in 2013. Please contact www.thecandyfund.org for further information. 

Bobby pins - Tipper brought back memories

I'm sure bobby pins had been used in these hair styles way back when.

I try to catch up on reading blogs on my subscribers list on weekends, and today I got a kick out of reading Tipper's post on "bobby pins" at the Blind Pig and the Acorn. It made me remember how important bobby pins were to hairdos of the fifties and sixties, but how important it was to never let one of them be seen in our hair . They were tools to create with but not for decoration. Read more about bobby pins and if they are coming back here.

100 Thousand Poets and you?

    Come be part of an international literary event!

September 29 is an internationally special day for poets and writers. Many of you may have heard of the 100 Thousand Poets for Change initiative. Basically this is an international fellowship of poets and writers who are concerned about the state of our world and nations. If you are not aware of this movement, please visit the official website at   http://www.bigbridge.org/100thousandpoetsforchange/?page_id=13931

As of today, more than 700 communities worldwide have scheduled events on September 29, and more are added daily. So let's get together and have our own voices heard!

As part of this international event, FutureCycle Press (Robert S. King) and Writers Circle (Glenda Beall) have scheduled an open-mic reading on Saturday, September 29, 2012, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will be held in the Grove Enterprises building located at 7540 Highway 64 West, Brasstown NC 28902. Brasstown is situated between Murphy and Hayesville NC and is about two hours from Atlanta or Knoxville. There is plenty of parking.

You are invited to come listen and/or read your original works of poetry or prose. Authors may also bring their books for sale at a table we provide. FutureCycle Press is particularly pleased to announce that it will have its new anthology, American Society: What Poets See, available for sale at the reading.

If you wish to read, please bring poems or prose pieces that do not exceed three minutes each. Depending on the number of readers, we may have time for more than one title per reader, so bring two or three of your works. Before the reading, please time your work to make sure it fits the allotted minutes.

We are not requiring that you read specifically on the subject of social issues, though you are encouraged to do so. It is more important that you show up and participate in whatever way you feel comfortable.

Please invite your friends and family as well. It would be helpful if you can let us know ahead of time if you plan to come and especially if you plan to read. An RSVP is not required, but having an idea of the numbers will help us plan the program. Please email Robert,rsking@futurecycle.org, if you plan to come. Also mention if you will bring books to sell.

We hope to see you there!

Robert S. King and Glenda Beall

_______________________

Directions to Venue:

From Murphy NC, take Highway 64 East toward Hayesville. Go 6+ miles and look for Grove Enterprises sign on left. Turn left at the driveway, go up the hill, turn left into the parking lot, and park on the side of the building facing highway 64. Once inside the building, please register at the front desk.

From Hayesville, NC, take Highway 64 West toward Murphy. Go 7+ miles and look for Grove Enterprises sign on right. Turn right in front of the sign, go up the hill and into the building's parking lot on the left. Park on the front side of the building facing Highway 64. Once inside the building, please register at the front desk.

Signs will be posted outside the building to help guide you.

Call for Submissions

Unteachable: An Anthology of Poets Outside the Academy

For the last fifty years teaching has become the default profession of poets in the United States. This anthology is to present the work of poets who do not teach. It is for bankers, carpenters, lawyers, taxi drivers, machinists, clerks, waiters, flight attendants, surgeons, musicians and anyone else who reads, writes and publishes outside of the academy.

Please submit 1-3 poems and a biographical statement to Mike James at williamdijames@aol.com. In the subject line, please type Anthology Submission. Poems may be on any subject and in any style. All submissions should be included in the body of the email, not as an attachment. Previously published are acceptable if the poet retains copyright. 

Payment will be one copy of the anthology. 

ARTICLE IN ASJA MONTHLY ON FUTURE OF AUTHORS AND ONLINE BOOKS

According to this article, What Does It Mean to Own a Book, by Minda Zetlin, writers need a heads up on the future of good old books on paper. When all the deals are made between Google and others like Google, with the publishers for books that can be bought and downloaded online, it is likely the writers who will be the losers. 

She compares the coming downloading of books to what happened in the music industry.

 Publishers have, for the most part, been remarkably slow and awkward in dealing with this new era when people read on mobile devices rather than paper. But sooner or later, 

Google or someone else will come along and negotiate a subscription-based deal with the big New York publishers.

And authors will likely be out in the cold, collecting the text equivalent of four tenths of a cent per song, unless we do something about it. 

This article on the site of the American Society of Journalists and Authors might be a forewarning of what is to come in the writing world. Read and tell us what you think.

The ASJA Monthly 

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF JOURNALISTS AND AUTHORS

I like Gary Carden's newest post on his trip to Lawyer College Ranch

Story teller, playwright, author, folklorist ,
GARY CARDEN

Gary Carden is a talented man, and his blog is full of interesting posts. His most recent is one I highly recommend.

Read it here.