Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "life"

From what I’ve gathered hanging around social media’s water coolers, most Indie authors have a playlist conducive to advancing their story writing—whether motivational fight songs, or songs complementing plot, theme, and characters.

It should go without saying:

Don’t quote song lyrics in your book. You can reference the song but not the actual lyrics. You can print a song’s title, there’s no law against that – though you might not want to use a song title as your book’s title as you can run afoul of trademark law.

http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/10/lyri...

Although I’d referenced several songs in my multi-award winning Contemporary, 'An Enlightening Quiche,' one song predominated for its commentary on isolation, sexuality, and personal relationships, while capturing the irony and cynicism of my protagonist—“Closing Time” (2009) written and performed by Leonard Cohen.

Augusta: A vision of myself as a ghoul from Christmases Yet to Come appeared in the guise of a long-in-the-tooth trollop flicking fried dyed hair and wearing age-inappropriate, skintight attire tautly stretched over my butt of a joke. A comparable image satirized every night by Cohen at closing time inside the chamber of Chuggers put the fear of God in me.

As I round the bend of chapter 4 in my Contemporary WIP, 'Aida’s Fishing Ground,' a song illustrative of a bygone era alluding to what transpires in the present, and has far-reaching effects moving forward is “Fire and Rain” (1970), a folk rock song written and performed by James Taylor.

Since there are no guarantees in life for seeing that special someone one more time again—act accordingly.

In Real Time:

LIVE - 03/03 @ 8 – 9 PM EST: my author interview hosted by Yvonne Mason on “Off the Chain”:

https://www.reddit.com/user/offthecha...

I’m a citer
I’m a fighter
I’m a midday righter
Tryin’ to find balance before the day is done…

*A parody of “The Joker," a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album, The Joker.

An Indie author, I know I’m not alone in navigating life’s choppy waters while trying to further my writing endeavors. Due to unforeseen hairpin turns and detours, it had taken me approximately 8 years to finish and publish my second novel in the genre of Contemporary, 'An Enlightening Quiche' (eBook – 370 pages).

In January 2018, I began my third Contemporary, 'Aida’s Fishing Ground,' progressing at my own unhurried pace where I left off two weeks ago. That’s right! I haven’t advanced a single word in drafting chapter 6. And, it’s not because I’ve gone fishing!

Indies who are primary caregivers or liaisons know the drill. You drop everything to meet up with your loved one at the ER. You become a citer, fighter, and righter to assure that the patient’s best medical and psychological interests are met. Being an advocate is exhausting and stressful. But, because our heart is in the right place, we prioritize, and everything else goes to hell in a hand basket—as it should.

Yet, during my driving spurts, Keith Lawrence and Obie Smith—two of my characters, made their presence known by channeling dialogue. As I’m a pantser, I store this information for subsequent retrieval when it’s time to summon. I’m not there by a long shot, but it will keep without my writing it down prior to that point. It’s how I roll. If you’ve read my multi-award winning 'An Enlightening Quiche,' I think you’ll concur that I did a damn good job differentiating my fully-fleshed characters, and plotting its twists and turns.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Meanwhile, the week ends on a positive note for health care management. I’ll soon transition to “the midnight writer” and plod/plot my way along Aida’s journey in my office—my fishing ground for reeling in the words to tell my story.

Process of elimination:

This ramble has nothing to do with the sci-fi, comedy-drama of the same title, about people shrinking their bodies to start a new life in an experimental community. It does have to do with downsizing my involvement on Facebook in order to avert short-circuiting my brain which has taken on sensory overload as of late.

I admit to missing the daily interaction with my Indie author friends. However, for all of the mutual ad post shares, and posting in author-promotion groups, I can’t say my time and effort were well-spent for procuring book sales.

Hard-pressed to retreat off the grid entirely, I maintain a daily/weekly on-line presence at the following:

Authors Den

Goodreads

Google +

LinkedIn

WordPress

Right now, it’s all I can do to write the occasional memoir about life’s noteworthy moments, and a weekly blog pertaining to my truth as an Indie author in real time. A writer at heart, I do intend to resume where I left off writing chapter 6 (996 words) in my Contemporary work in progress, 'Aida’s Fishing Ground'. The characters continue to channel their dialog through me and demand I finish what was started.

We Indies may have an uphill battle, but unless we’re earning a living from “this thing of ours,” we have all the time in the world to tell our story. Selling it is another matter altogether.

This week I was tagged on Facebook to participate and forward this post:

TEN day movie challenge: Post an image, without explanation, from a movie which made an impact on you. ONE movie image & ONE nomination per day for 10 days.


Although I rarely engage in these challenges, I accepted the nomination, as it doesn’t require much time or effort to follow through on an enjoyable pursuit.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the no. 1 film which has made the greatest impact on me, pertaining to my writing, is 'On the Waterfront' (1954). If memory serves me correctly, I was 12 years old when I first watched Elia Kazan’s gritty and thought-provoking combination of crime drama, romance, and character study.

So many quote-worthy lines too. Here’s by far, the most recognizable:

Terry Malloy – “You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.”

'On the Waterfront' influenced the types of movies and programs I’d watch, and the book genres I’d prefer to read. As a writer/published author, I’m fond of branding my Contemporary Women’s Fiction as “Lit with Grit”. Besides incorporating historic landmarks, geographic entities, and regional culture in my novels:

I create fully-fleshed characters.

I steer away from writing lame dialogue.

In both regards, I’m proud to include an excerpt from a 5-Star review for 'An Enlightening Quiche' (2016):

“It was filled with fascinating, three-dimensional characters who seem to live and breathe on the page, the dialogue between them was honest and believable, a trick many authors never seem to achieve.”

“Go ahead, make my day.”

* Leave a comment with the title of a movie which made a REEL impact on your life.

Better late than never!

‘Tis better to have written and published, than never to have done so at all.

George Eliot didn't publish 'Middlemarch' until she was 52.

Laura Ingalls Wilder, best known for her' Little House' series, first published in her mid-sixties.

Mary Wesley published her first novel, 'Jumping the Queue,' in her early seventies.

Harriet Doerr published her first novel, 'Stones for Ibarra,'
at the age of 73.

You might be thinking to yourself that you’ve never heard of the latter two authors. Well, not many have heard of me either. It doesn’t diminish achievement.

I published my first novel, 'Underlying Notes,' when I was 58.

The reasons for starting a writing career later in life are diverse as the stories we tell. Here’s mine:

At the age of twelve, I pounded chapter stories in the genres of mystery and espionage, replete with dialogue, on my girly-pink Tom Thumb typewriter. In high school, I wrote a romance novella which earned its place on a library shelf. The rigors of college, and the demands placed on a rewarding teaching career, shelved further creative writing ambitions until I retired from the profession.

No lines of defense are needed for justifying late bloomers who embark on new career paths later in life. For the milieu of writing, the wisdom acquired from having paid the consequences enriches our stories. Hence, my novels are descriptive, introspective, and explore the gamut of inner conflicts: convention vs. rebellion; fate vs. free will; loyalty vs. betrayal; unbridled love vs. sacrifice; death--inevitable or tragic?

*Fill in the blank:

‘Tis better to have _______________, than never to have done so at all.

The celebration of Halloween nears, festooned with the likes of costume parties, carving pumpkins, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, watching horror films, and telling scary stories.

Personally, I embrace the element of “horror” all year long. More preferable to me than slashers, growlers, or biters—the psychological horror of self-revelation.

An Indie author who writes “lit with grit” in my primary genre of Contemporary, I expose the emotional vulnerabilities and fears of my characters by revealing the darker parts of their human psyche they’ve either repressed or denied.

I take perverse pleasure in creating discomfort or dread through artistic realism:

From Chapter 15, 'Underlying Notes' ((First Printing – 2007; Second Printing – 2009; available: Kindle Edition @Amazon) :

Carla: This marked the end of the worn trail I had advanced and retreated on over the years, too fearful to pass beyond that point into the untamed wilderness that was booby trapped with prickles and thorns. Mindlessly fanning pages of a magazine induced a hypnotic state empowering thistles, blackberry bushes, and wild roses to unleash their fury and stake their claim by tearing at my flesh as I forged past them. The devil’s fetid breath tainted the rose note in 'Paloma Picasso' so she no longer wafted nostalgic enchantment, but spiraled into the nightmarish twist of cloying entrapment. Underlying notes of patchouli and oakmoss flanked the fickle rose, intimidating her to convey the ripe earthiness of a freshly hollowed grave.

I brushed aside tree branches that had shielded me from the vacant stare of death and gingerly made my way past protruding tree roots and ruts along the unmarked trail to that cabin in the woods numbered 237—my father’s barbershop. Just as I willed myself to turn the handle to open the Fury’s door back then, I would summon the courage to do so again surrealistically…

*What are your preferences in the genre of horror?

On October 23, 2018, a tornado made its touchdown in my childhood neighborhood, less than a half-mile from my former home on Angell Rd. in Lincoln, Rhode Island. One of the newer plats off of Angell, on Riata Dr., sustained downed power lines, uprooted trees, shorn roofs, and weighty windblown debris strewn helter-skelter. Miraculously, no one was injured by a tornado that gave little warning for preparation when it approached.

So, how does this tie in with my weekly blog which primarily relates to writing?

An Indie author who strives to make a touchdown—scoring readers and reviews for my published novels—over the years I’ve expanded my writing repertoire to increase my likelihood of gaining more contacts. In that vein, I’ve written memoirs, essays pertaining to Rhode Island, and recollections of the Sixties.

Of all the many important universal themes conveyed in literature, my novels included, “resilience” strikes a chord with readers. Due to the unprecedented tornado which occurred after I’d written my latest memoir published on my web page at Authors Den, it’s the perfect fit for this week’s blog.

On that note, an excerpt from “Still Standing”:

Standing strong against time…

The three stone walls my father built at the edge of our front lawn nearly 60 years ago!

In 1962, my father built three stone walls at the edge of our front lawn, not so much for a boundary line, though they certainly contained and defined our property. But, rather to serve as retaining walls to obstruct the devastating effects of run-off and erosion that accompanied heavy downpours. A part-time project my father engaged in after work and during weekends, this summer endeavor stretched into autumn. His venture evolved into an obsession which recruited the labor force of my mother, sister, and me to gather stones.

As of today, those three stone walls still hold their ground, resilient, for having withstood the pummeling of hurricanes, blizzards, and a tornado that touched down on Angell Rd., October 23, 2018.

In retrospective review, I’m proud to share that by the end of 2018:

My Contemporary, 'An Enlightening Quiche' (2016), merited the following awards:

2018 Golden Book Award - 3rd Place Winner

2017 New Apple Annual Book Award: “Official Selection”

2017 SIBA 1st Place - Best Contemporary

2017 ATAI (Authors Talk About It) 5
-Star Badge

2016 Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Seal

*1st for Books Set in Rhode Island (Goodreads Listopia)

My Nonfiction Memoir, '100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s' (2017), merited the following awards:

2018 New Apple Summer eBookAwards for Excellence in Independent Publishing: Solo Medalist Winner

2018 TopShelf Award Finalist in the Category of Memoirs (Other)

In 2019, I’m determined to further my WIP, resuming from chapter 16. By nature, writing is a slow process for me, often further exacerbated by life’s hairpin turns over which I have no control. Que sera sera!

No one from any walk of life is exempt from strife and setbacks which hinder our goals.

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” (Vince Lombardi)

Therein lies my determination to roll with the punches on my terms and timeframe.

Best wishes for a prosperous and productive year ahead!

In celebration of my 200th blog milestone, I’m citing excerpts from five of my favorite Blog Bytes—every single one originally published on my web page at Authors Den (2015 – 2019). By the way, the bytes I’ve chosen have nothing to do with my writing career.

Eva’s Byte # 19 – That Which Kills Me!

If I weren’t concerned about health risks, impaired judgement, premature aging, an expanding waistline, tarnished reputation, threats to my well-being, serving prison time, financial ruin, compromising longevity, or suffering my soul to eternal damnation—you can be sure, I’d embrace hedonism wholeheartedly by indulging in that which kills me and makes my life worthwhile! A for instance:
I’d beef it up by eating Texas burgers more often, enjoying the sumptuous repast of ½ lb. ground sirloin topped with melted cheddar, bacon slice, onion ring, and barbecue sauce on a bun.
Honky tonk dives, here I’d come—those joints from yesteryear where smoking and drinking were suitably mated until ordinances took effect nationwide in every public place. I didn’t smoke or drink in excess, but loved the ambience. Go figure.

Eva’s Byte #22 – Swingers!

Ring-a-Ding-Ding!

The 1961 album by Frank Sinatra which included only up tempo swing numbers, one of them “Ring-a-Ding-Ding,” is an apropos opening for the swingers I’m about to zing.

Ding!

I’m referring to those callous, careless, cowardly individuals who leave behind their anonymous calling card of a ding or scratch on your vehicle, adding insult to injury from the forceful, wide-arc swing of their own car door when getting in or out of their heap of steel parked next to yours.

Eva’s Byte #35 - Leopard

The spotted leopard print is both bold and timeless, as attested through our cruise down memory lane. My sister and I recalled the numerous times our Aunt Evelyn chauffeured my mother and us two kids around in her 1959, coral and white, batwing Impala, invariably wearing her leopard coat in winter.

Spreading the conversation forward, my cousin Gail remembered her mother, my Aunt Angie, had a leopard coat and matching accessories. The spots stop there! My cousin Deborah revealed that her mom, my Aunt Viola, wasn’t a leopard aficionado. While my mother admires leopard print, my sister and I never spotted leopard lurking in her clothes closet. However, she does have a pair of leopard reading glasses.

An animal pattern that comes in a variety of colors and iterations, leopard rounds out a wardrobe by adding glamour and sex appeal. Leopard must be worn in moderation. Paired or “pard” with black, it’s the cat’s meow!

Eva’s Byte #42 – That One Thing!

Do you know what the secret of life is? (Holds up one finger)

One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean **it. (A Curly quote from City Slickers, 1991)

Enough said!

Eva’s Byte #45 – Letting Go

Letting go is not easy for me. If a fine line exists between hanging on to things and hoarding, I’m straddling the line by not letting go of things past their prime. Not bearing to throw away pretty soap boxes, I incorporate them into my décor. Reluctant to part with empty perfume bottles for their design and for the precious dregs trapped inside, my glass goddesses stand sentinel on a bureau. Treasuring my vintage designer bags, I’ve tucked them away for safekeeping in a closet.

Forget about letting go of a grudge! Should anyone cross me, they’re crossed off my list. There’s no crossing the Rubicon where I’m concerned. A Michael Corleone character quote from The Godfather puts it succinctly, Sicilianly, and squarely - “You're nothing to me now!”

Ciao for now…

What makes your world go round?

One of those hardy New Englanders, I’m fond of invoking that expression whenever we’re in for a nor’easter—a bout of heavy rain or snow. A nautical term from the early 19th century, a ship’s captain would give the order to batten down the hatches, whereby the crew closed all doors on deck and used lengths of batten (rods) to secure those hatches.

I’ve summoned these words as the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) takes the world by pandemic storm. An introvert by nature, “avoiding crowds as much as possible” works in my favor. In my capacity as a writer, I thrive in solitude.

Far from the maddening crowds stockpiling disinfectants and daily essentials, I’ve forged ahead along my WIP in drafting chapter 43. I’m also reading and reviewing books written by fellow Indies.

While I am concerned about the potential for severe long-range impact on the economy, this fighter-writer strives to make gains along my own ongoing, uphill battles:

Selling books consistently to uplift me from the doldrums

Garnering reviews because word of mouth is the best form of advertising money can’t buy

Obtaining overdue royalties from a hybrid publisher

In my dreams, attain international renown

I fully realize the struggles of a writer do not amount to a hill of beans in comparison to what is currently playing out on the world stage. Nevertheless, daily minutiae, petty as some of it may be, is the cornerstone of life you can’t barricade yourself against by battening down the hatches. I wouldn’t want to.

Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w