A Writer's Moment: Achieving and Leading in the SciFi World

A Writer's Moment: Achieving and Leading in the SciFi World: “I have never written anything in one draft, not even a grocery list, although I have heard from friends that this is ...

Achieving and Leading in the SciFi World

“I have never written anything in one draft, not even a grocery list, although I have heard from friends that this is actually possible.” – Connie Willis

Born on this date in 1945, Willis writes science fiction and fantasy and is one of the most feted writers in the history of those genres.  The winner of a startling 11 Hugo Awards and 7 Nebula Awards, she has been named to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and for the Science Fiction Writers of America “Grand Masters” award.  Her 2010 novel Blackout/All Clear was selected "Best Novel" by both the Hugos and the Nebulas.

A native of Colorado who resides in Greeley (just 10 miles from my home) Willis is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado, where she also taught Physics.  She started writing SciFi short stories in 1970 and debuted her first novel, Water Witch, in 1982.  That same year, after receiving a National Endowment for the Arts award, she left teaching to concentrate full time on her writing career.  

                                      She has had 17 novels, 9 short story collections, 60 short stories and 9 essays published, her latest novel being 2017’s Crosstalk and latest collection of short stories, 2018’s Terra Incognita.  Willis often explores the social sciences in her stories, weaving in technology and humor along the way.

 

“I have, " she said, "great faith in the future of books - no matter what form they may take - and of science fiction.”

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A Writer's Moment: The Power of Suggestion

A Writer's Moment: The Power of Suggestion: “The best of a book is not the thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of musi...

The Power of Suggestion

“The best of a book is not the thought which it contains, but the thought which it suggests; just as the charm of music dwells not in the tones but in the echoes of our hearts.” – John Greenleaf Whittier

Born in December 1807, Whittier was renowned for both his writing and his support of a bevy of civil and equal rights activities, including Abolition, Women’s Rights and Social Justice.  A deeply religious man raised in the Quaker faith, he was first introduced to poetry by an elementary teacher and began writing his own verse while still in high school. 

 

   By the time of his death in 1892 he had published more than 30 books – 23 of them poetry collections. Since then, dozens more of his writings and books about him and his life also have been published.

So influential were Whittier’s writings and leadership skills that he had three cities, two colleges, numerous schools, parks, roads and bridges, and two mountain peaks named in his honor. 

“You don’t always win your battles,” he said, “but it’s good to know that you fought.”

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A Writer's Moment: 'Troubling A Star'

A Writer's Moment: 'Troubling A Star': “All things by immortal power, near or far, to each other linked are, that thou canst not stir a flower without troubl...

'Troubling A Star'

“All things by immortal power, near or far, to each other linked are, that thou canst not stir a flower without troubling of a star.” – Francis Thompson

Thompson, born in Great Britain in December of 1859, wrote three books of poetry, a number of short stories, and several essays, including one of the best ever done on poet Percy Bysche Shelley.  He was a key influence on writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Madeline L’Engle, and penned such famous phrases as “With all deliberate speed” – used in the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Brown vs. Board of Education – and “Love is a many-splendored thing,” used as the title for both a popular movie and a popular hit song in the 1950s.  

For Saturday’s Poem, here is Thompson’s, 

Go, songs

                               Go, songs, for ended is our brief, sweet play; 

                               Go, children of swift joy and tardy sorrow: 

And some are sung, and that was yesterday, 

                               And some are unsung, and that may be tomorrow.

Go forth; and if it be o'er stony way, 

                               Old joy can lend what newer grief must borrow: 

                               And it was sweet, and that was yesterday, 

                               And sweet is sweet, though purchased with sorrow.

Go, songs, and come not back from your far way: 

                               And if men ask you why ye smile and sorrow, 

                               Tell them ye grieve, for your hearts know Today, 

                               Tell them ye smile, for your eyes know Tomorrow.

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A Writer's Moment: Words That 'Speak To The Spirit'

A Writer's Moment: Words That 'Speak To The Spirit': Robert Frost said poetry is what gets lost in translation. Those of us who are moved to put words to paper – whether the focus be on t...

Words That 'Speak To The Spirit'

Robert Frost said poetry is what gets lost in translation.

Those of us who are moved to put words to paper – whether the focus be on the creative or the erudite – have a bit of poet within.  We have a vague hope that our poetic words can someday be expressed, just waiting for the right time and form to come out into the world.   As Thomas Gray said, “Poetry is thoughts that breathe and words that burn within us.”

 And the fine poet and creative writer Richelle Goodrich noted:  

“It may be that when you write (poetry), you choose to share your verse with others or with no one.  Either way, growth, cleansing, relief all come from the process.   Poetry speaks to the spirit by piercing understanding.  It interprets all senseless truths – beauty, love, emotion – into sensible scrawl.”

A Writer's Moment: Extending The Christmas Season

A Writer's Moment: Extending The Christmas Season: “I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears o...

Extending The Christmas Season

“I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays — let them overtake me unexpectedly — waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: ‘Why, this is Christmas Day!’” ~ David Grayson (journalist and biographer)

“As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.”~Eric Sevareid (longtime CBS News reporter, novelist and essayist)

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” ~Laura Ingalls Wilder (written when she was a magazine editor in Kansas before her Little House days)

And a few words from me:  May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through.

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A Writer's Moment: Writing A Christmas Legend

A Writer's Moment: Writing A Christmas Legend: “’Twas the night before Christmas . . . “ – Clement Clarke Moore Moore was a straitlaced, no-nonsense academician who served as a profe...

Writing A Christmas Legend

“’Twas the night before Christmas . . . “ – Clement Clarke Moore

Moore was a straitlaced, no-nonsense academician who served as a professor of classics at the General Theological Seminary in New York City, focused on writing for “an erudite readership” when he penned those famous words.  Fortunately for the rest of us, the man had children.

Legend has it that Moore composed A Visit from St. Nicholas for his kids on Christmas Eve, during a sleigh-ride home from Greenwich Village. He supposedly drew inspiration for St. Nick from a roly-poly Dutchman driving his family in that sleigh, although from what we know of Clement Moore, it's more likely that he drew his imagery from literary sources.   Moore published his famous poem on Christmas Eve 1823. 

                                        While the scholarly Moore was at first hesitant to publicly acknowledge his association with such an “unscholarly” verse, his kids – for whom he had composed the piece in the first place – were proud of the tale and wanted children everywhere to know who to thank for those magical words.

Moore’s poem is largely responsible for Santa Claus as we know him today, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit, his mode of his transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, and the tradition that he brings toys to children.   So, as St. Nick exclaimed ere he drove out of sight: “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” 

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A Writer's Moment: New Voices, New Techniques

A Writer's Moment: New Voices, New Techniques: “Print-on-demand publishing is the new farm system for new voices in fiction. Authors who have compelling things to say, who can market th...

New Voices, New Techniques

“Print-on-demand publishing is the new farm system for new voices in fiction. Authors who have compelling things to say, who can market their stories in compelling ways, will succeed.”  - Daniel Suarez

More and more publishing houses are going to the "print on demand" technology and no one can speak more to how successful the technique is than Suarez, whose novels started in that fashion before being “mainstreamed” by Dutton, one of the Big Five publishers.

Suarez, who was born on this day in 1964, is an IT specialist whose career as an author began with a pair of techno-thriller novels, Daemon, originally self-published under his own company Verdugo Press, and then Freedom, picked up by Dutton along with a re-release of the first one.

  

 A former systems consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, Suarez loves writing, but also stays involved with technology, designing and developing mission-critical software for the defense, finance, and entertainment industries.  He said he loves writing but sometimes pushes the wrong buttons with his topics.  

                                         “When you write a high-tech thriller and then people in the defense establishment start calling you - people I can't name - you feel maybe you've hit a nerve.  Oh well.”

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A Writer's Moment: Shaped By Our Stories

A Writer's Moment: Shaped By Our Stories: “As individuals, we are shaped by story from the time of birth; we are formed by what we are told by our parents, our ...

Shaped By Our Stories

“As individuals, we are shaped by story from the time of birth; we are formed by what we are told by our parents, our teachers, our intimates.” – Helen Dunmore

Dunmore, born in December 1952, grew up in a large British family, which she said was a great influence on her writing.  "In a large family,” she explained, “you hear and observe a great many stories."  The writer of both award-winning poetry and dozens of books (mostly for children), she said writing for kids has given her a special grounding in her craft. 

                                            “Children will not pretend to be enjoying books, and they will not read books because they have been told that these books are good. They are looking for delight.”  Among her clever children’s books are Aliens Don’t Eat Bacon Sandwiches and Go Fox, just two of her works taught in British elementary schools.  For "Saturday's Poem" here is Dunmore’s,  

Smiles Like Roses All down my street smiles opened like roses sun licked me and tickled me sun said, Didn’t you believe me when I said I’d be back? I blinked my eyes, I said, Sun, you are too strong for me where’d you get those muscles? Sun said, Come and dance. All over the park smiles opened like roses babies kicked off their shoes and sun kissed their toes. All those new babies all that new sun everybody dancing walking but dancing. All over the world sun kicked off his shoes and came home dancing licking and tickling kissing crossing-ladies and fat babies saying to everyone Hey you are the most beautiful dancing people I’ve ever seen with those smiles like roses!

A Writer's Moment: Small World, Big Impact

A Writer's Moment: Small World, Big Impact: “It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears.   It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears. There’s so much that we share, that it’s time w...

Small World, Big Impact

“It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears.  It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears. There’s so much that we share, that it’s time we’re aware, it’s small world after all.” – Robert Sherman

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland or Disneyworld, you’ve probably heard these words by Sherman, born on this date in 1925.  It’s the lyrics from the theme song for the popular “Small World” ride and one of many Sherman songs featured throughout the theme parks.

“Small World” was among dozens of successful songs he and brother Richard wrote while working for Disney Studios as Staff Songwriters – a title created by Walt to keep them writing for his films.   Among their most famous was Mary Poppins, for which they won two Academy Awards while convincing Mary’s creator, the cantankerous P.L. Travers, that a song with a nonsensical title would be acceptable.  Thus, their word and song Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious was born.

Sherman started writing at age 16, penning a fund-raising stage play Armistice and Dedication Day – showing how Americans’ lives were changed following the attack on Pearl Harbor.  He also fought in WWII – joining at age 17 – was wounded and won citations for bravery.  Editor-in-chief of his college newspaper, he authored 2 novels – both before graduating – then switched to writing lyrics and the rest is history.   
The Sherman brothers were awarded the National Medal for the Arts for their contribution to our nation’s culture, and Robert was recognized with dozens of major writing awards.  But he said his best “reward” was recognition by children.   Four of his musicals – The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, The Aristocats and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – rank in the "Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of All Time.”    

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A Writer's Moment: There's No Wrong Way To Write Right

A Writer's Moment: There's No Wrong Way To Write Right: “There is no right or wrong way to write - there's only what works for you. I was taught to write every day, but ...

There's No Wrong Way To Write Right

“There is no right or wrong way to write - there's only what works for you. I was taught to write every day, but I know a writer (a bestseller at that!) who only writes on weekends.” – Tamora Pierce

 

A native of Pennsylvania, Pierce -- born Dec. 14, 1954 -- is a writer of fantasy fiction for teens and best known for stories featuring young heroines. She first made a name for herself with series, The Song of the Lioness, which followed the main character Alanna through the trials and triumphs of training as a knight.     

She's now authored dozens of books and several best-selling series.  In 2013 she was the recipient of the American Library Association’s “Margaret A. Edwards Award” for her significant and lasting contributions to Young Adult literature.

Pierce draws on elements of people and animals around her for inspiration. She said she gets most ideas from things she stumbles upon and then “adapts.”  Her concept of magic as a tapestry of threads comes from her experiences in crocheting, and in her world all images are somehow based on British naturalist David Attenborough after watching his nature documentaries.

  

“What people tell me they take away from my books is that they can shape their lives, they can achieve their own dreams,” she said.  “And certainly that's what I want them to take away.”

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A Writer's Moment: 'Leding' On A Great Writing Path

A Writer's Moment: 'Leding' On A Great Writing Path: “When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.” – William Safire  Born on this date in ...

'Leding' On A Great Writing Path

“When I need to know the meaning of a word, I look it up in a dictionary.” – William Safire 

Born on this date in 1929, just days after the Great Stockmarket Crash, Safire grew up in the turmoil of the 1930s to become one of America’s best-known authors, columnists and journalists. 

A stickler for language uses and demands, he was perhaps best known as a long-time syndicated political columnist for the New York Times.  He authored "On Language" in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, a column on new or unusual usages, and other language-related topics that he wrote right up until his death in 2009.  He also wrote The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time. 

     A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he disdained writers who used what he termed     “insiderisms” to try to attract or dazzle readers.  “Do not be taken in by 'insiderisms,’” he once noted.  “Fledgling columnists, eager to impress readers with their grasp of journalistic jargon, are drawn to such arcane spellings as 'lede.'  I say, ‘Where they lede, do not follow.’”

Lede, by the way, is the longtime journalistic term for the “opening” of a story, supposedly containing all the key or important information needed. Safire always delighted in adding a key “nugget” of info. later in his stories – “just to keep the readers on their toes.”

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A Writer's Moment: Striving For The Impossible

A Writer's Moment: Striving For The Impossible: “I don't pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.” – Arthur C. Clarke Born in Engla...

Striving For The Impossible

“I don't pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about.” – Arthur C. Clarke

Born in England on this date in 1917, Clarke wrote dozens of best-selling science fiction books and short stories but is perhaps best known for penning the screenplay for one of the top 100 movies of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

A lifelong proponent of space travel, he joined the British Interplanetary Society while still a teenager and ultimately served for many years as its chairman.  Not only a writer but also a gifted thinker and planner, he proposed a prototype satellite communication system as early in 1945.

Clarke emigrated from England to Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) in 1956, to pursue his interest in scuba diving.  There, he discovered the underwater ruins of the ancient Koneswaram Temple off its coast.  Clarke augmented his popularity as a writer by hosting several international popular television shows, including the award winning “Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World.” 

The author of 21 novels, 15 nonfiction books, and 12 collections of short stories, Clarke was knighted for his achievements by Queen Elizabeth, named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, and awarded Sri Lanka’s highest civilian honor for his service to science, culture and his adopted nation. 

                                            “The only way to discover the limits of the possible,” Clarke once said, “is to go beyond them into the impossible.”

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A Writer's Moment: Songs of Black Life and Living

A Writer's Moment: Songs of Black Life and Living: “My mother, religious-negro, proud of / having waded through a storm, is very obviously, / a sturdy Black bridge that ...

Songs of Black Life and Living

“My mother, religious-negro, proud of / having waded through a storm, is very obviously, / a sturdy Black bridge that I / crossed over, on.” – Carolyn M. Rodgers

Rodgers, born on this date in 1945, wrote poetry, essays and short stories about Black identity, religion and revolution while founding and operating one of America’s oldest Black presses, Third World Press.       She won wide acclaim for Songs of a Blackbird and its powerful poems addressing themes of survival, street life, conflicting mother-daughter relationships, and a concern for the "black woman poet."   Blackbird also won a National Endowment of the Arts award.   For Saturday’s Poem, here is Rodgers’,

                  Some Me of Beauty
I took a good long look at myself in a full length mirror
Sometimes it’s good to look in a full length mirror
And what I saw was not some soul sister poetess of the moment
But I saw just a woman
Just a woman feeling
Just a woman human
And what I felt was
What I felt was a spiritual revelation
And what I felt was a root revival of some love coming on
Coming on strong
And I knew then, looking in a full length mirror,
That many things were over
And some me of beauty was about to begin

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