Eva Pasco's Blog - Posts Tagged "resilience"
R-r-roar!
I’m an Indie author, hear me r-r-roar!
I’m resilient
I’m invincible
I’m an indie author
(Inspired by “I am Woman,” a song written by Helen Reddy and released in 1972)
The onset of the New Year has granted me reason to roar:
'An Enlightening Quiche,' in the category of Contemporary Women’s Fiction, is one of the judges’ finalists in the 2018 Golden Book Award contest. Anyone who has read my book, or any one of the featured finalists, you’re welcome to add a comment in contribution to the “Readers’ Choice Award” contest.
https://www.goldenboxbooks.com/golden...
A recent review for 'An Enlightening Quiche' was published in January’s issue of Indie Publishing News, Issue 20.
An excerpt:
Most writers put words together in an attempt to create an understandable story. Few writers are considered artists who bombard the pages with vivid colors of vocabulary. Eva Pasco is an artist. Her book, “An Enlightening Quiche,” is a gallery in a novel.
http://online.fliphtml5.com/ohxp/njos/
I’m looking forward to an upcoming interview conducted by speculative fiction author Bryan Aiello via his “Stories on Creativity” podcast on January 19th @ 8 PM EST.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL...
Hear my r-r-roar for laying the foundation of my WIP in the genre of Contemporary, 'Aida’s Fishing Ground!' Having written the prologue, I’m underway with chapter 1.
May every Indie author have something to roar about to stave the anguish over sluggish, sporadic, or stagnant book sales.
Resilience!
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.
Eva’s Byte #246: Suffering for One’s Art
The art of writing has potential to offer an outlet for suffering and adversity. Out of profound respect and admiration for one of many acclaimed writers who suffered for their art, I am paying tribute to Sylvia Plath:
Suffering from mental illness which plagued her until she committed suicide at the age of 30 by sticking her head in an oven, she adopted a confessional style of poetry and storytelling relating to her personal strife.
Of the mindset that no one is exempt from suffering and adversity—setting this aside—in my capacity of writer, I suffer for my art because of anxieties the milieu of writing itself spawns—GUILT.
For:
The limited time at my disposal to roll up my sleeves and further my WIP.
By the end of the day, I’m often too emotionally spent or frazzled to possess the motivation it takes to be at the top of my game.
I have turned a corner, however. I no longer harbor the notion to “quit” and, in doing so, free myself from promoting my work on social media. After struggling with this weighty decision for years, I’ve come to the conclusion that suffering for one’s art is par for the course along my life’s journey.
This decision was sweetened by three recent 5-Star reviews I received for three of my major published works:
(Jan. 11) - An Enlightening Quiche: A Literary Work of Art - Her language spills like water, taking you with it, words pooling and flowing around the characters as it brings them to life like Spring rain. It was a true work of literature.
(Jan. 9) - 100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s: A Thoroughly Enjoyable Book - … a refreshing and unique take on the 1960’s. The book is composed of numerous vignettes where Ms. Pasco describes an era far removed from what is sometimes referred to as the psychedelic Sixties. Here she tells tales of growing up in a comforting time full of simple pleasures and small adventures that many of us have forgotten or are just too distracted to remember.
(Jan. 6) – Mr. Wizardo: Loved It - The story is engaging and the characters felt real. I loved it and would highly recommend.
*Wishing every starving and/or suffering artist the stamina to complete your current work in progress.
Eva’s Authors Den Page:https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Suffering from mental illness which plagued her until she committed suicide at the age of 30 by sticking her head in an oven, she adopted a confessional style of poetry and storytelling relating to her personal strife.
Of the mindset that no one is exempt from suffering and adversity—setting this aside—in my capacity of writer, I suffer for my art because of anxieties the milieu of writing itself spawns—GUILT.
For:
The limited time at my disposal to roll up my sleeves and further my WIP.
By the end of the day, I’m often too emotionally spent or frazzled to possess the motivation it takes to be at the top of my game.
I have turned a corner, however. I no longer harbor the notion to “quit” and, in doing so, free myself from promoting my work on social media. After struggling with this weighty decision for years, I’ve come to the conclusion that suffering for one’s art is par for the course along my life’s journey.
This decision was sweetened by three recent 5-Star reviews I received for three of my major published works:
(Jan. 11) - An Enlightening Quiche: A Literary Work of Art - Her language spills like water, taking you with it, words pooling and flowing around the characters as it brings them to life like Spring rain. It was a true work of literature.
(Jan. 9) - 100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s: A Thoroughly Enjoyable Book - … a refreshing and unique take on the 1960’s. The book is composed of numerous vignettes where Ms. Pasco describes an era far removed from what is sometimes referred to as the psychedelic Sixties. Here she tells tales of growing up in a comforting time full of simple pleasures and small adventures that many of us have forgotten or are just too distracted to remember.
(Jan. 6) – Mr. Wizardo: Loved It - The story is engaging and the characters felt real. I loved it and would highly recommend.
*Wishing every starving and/or suffering artist the stamina to complete your current work in progress.
Eva’s Authors Den Page:https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #255: Mustard Seeds
Faith and sensibility are the backbone of survival.
According to Matthew 17:20 – If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains.
Faith, along with sensibility regarding social-distancing and self-isolation, will move us past the Coronavirus (COVID – 19). Complemented by the Persian adage—“This too shall pass.”
A writer who published a Nonfiction collection comprised of 100 memoirs about growing up during the Sixties, I’ve interwoven its social issues: The Cold War and threat of Nuclear Annihilation; Counterculture; Civil Rights Movement; Vietnam War; Political Assassinations.
But, I never mentioned the polio epidemic, a holdover on us Baby Boomers from 1952, when the worst outbreak in the Unites States occurred. From Wikipedia: Of the 57,628 cases—3145 died and 21,269 were left with mild to disabling paralysis.
During my adolescence, I recall public round-ups at various intervals to receive both an inactivated poliovirus injection and a weakened poliovirus given orally.
Social-distancing never entered the picture!
And, no hand sanitizer either! Yet, my generation survived the Hong Kong Flu epidemic of 1968.
From the prologue of 100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s (2017):
Meanwhile, under the mushroom cloud of the Cold War with its threat of nuclear warfare, my sister and I carried on as kids do regardless of world events. We twirled our hula hoops, collected Bazooka bubblegum wrappers, did our homework, rode bicycles, watched television, chased down the ice cream truck, and slept on brush rollers. Life as we knew it was groovy and far out!
*Then, as now, faith as small as a mustard seed will move us past this mountain.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
According to Matthew 17:20 – If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains.
Faith, along with sensibility regarding social-distancing and self-isolation, will move us past the Coronavirus (COVID – 19). Complemented by the Persian adage—“This too shall pass.”
A writer who published a Nonfiction collection comprised of 100 memoirs about growing up during the Sixties, I’ve interwoven its social issues: The Cold War and threat of Nuclear Annihilation; Counterculture; Civil Rights Movement; Vietnam War; Political Assassinations.
But, I never mentioned the polio epidemic, a holdover on us Baby Boomers from 1952, when the worst outbreak in the Unites States occurred. From Wikipedia: Of the 57,628 cases—3145 died and 21,269 were left with mild to disabling paralysis.
During my adolescence, I recall public round-ups at various intervals to receive both an inactivated poliovirus injection and a weakened poliovirus given orally.
Social-distancing never entered the picture!
And, no hand sanitizer either! Yet, my generation survived the Hong Kong Flu epidemic of 1968.
From the prologue of 100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s (2017):
Meanwhile, under the mushroom cloud of the Cold War with its threat of nuclear warfare, my sister and I carried on as kids do regardless of world events. We twirled our hula hoops, collected Bazooka bubblegum wrappers, did our homework, rode bicycles, watched television, chased down the ice cream truck, and slept on brush rollers. Life as we knew it was groovy and far out!
*Then, as now, faith as small as a mustard seed will move us past this mountain.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #330 – The Reprieve
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” Cynthia Ozick
While I’m grateful for many things on a daily basis, I become more appreciative of electrical power when stormy weather threatens to snatch it away via downed trees and snapped utility poles. Such was the case when tropical storm – category one hurricane – tropical storm Henri battered the Northeast with brutal winds and heavy rain on Sunday, knocking out power for most of coastal Rhode Island.
Up to and including the aftermath of Henri, I got busy on my desktop computer with proofreading, editing, and revising the finished draft of my Contemporary work in progress. Bracing myself for a power outage at any moment, I saved my work every couple of minutes. As a result of keeping my nose to the grindstone, I had covered ground from chapters 11 through 23, progressing to Part 2. I’m now approaching the halfway mark of my novel.
Had the storm stopped me in my tracks, I would have worked on crossword puzzles and would have written this blog in longhand. It wouldn’t be the first time: Eva’s Byte # 133: Weathering a Storm—Longhand.
While I’m grateful for the reprieve so I could continue working in my capacity as an author, I’m especially grateful because my refrigerator and freezer weren’t adversely affected. That wasn’t the case for thousands of Rhode Islanders, now expected to have their power by mid-day of Wednesday.
Compared to the destruction of major cataclysms and the devastation of war, these hardships wrought by a hurricane just passing through are short-lived in the grand scheme of life.
*May each of us pivot from optimism and gratitude during storms of any nature.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
While I’m grateful for many things on a daily basis, I become more appreciative of electrical power when stormy weather threatens to snatch it away via downed trees and snapped utility poles. Such was the case when tropical storm – category one hurricane – tropical storm Henri battered the Northeast with brutal winds and heavy rain on Sunday, knocking out power for most of coastal Rhode Island.
Up to and including the aftermath of Henri, I got busy on my desktop computer with proofreading, editing, and revising the finished draft of my Contemporary work in progress. Bracing myself for a power outage at any moment, I saved my work every couple of minutes. As a result of keeping my nose to the grindstone, I had covered ground from chapters 11 through 23, progressing to Part 2. I’m now approaching the halfway mark of my novel.
Had the storm stopped me in my tracks, I would have worked on crossword puzzles and would have written this blog in longhand. It wouldn’t be the first time: Eva’s Byte # 133: Weathering a Storm—Longhand.
While I’m grateful for the reprieve so I could continue working in my capacity as an author, I’m especially grateful because my refrigerator and freezer weren’t adversely affected. That wasn’t the case for thousands of Rhode Islanders, now expected to have their power by mid-day of Wednesday.
Compared to the destruction of major cataclysms and the devastation of war, these hardships wrought by a hurricane just passing through are short-lived in the grand scheme of life.
*May each of us pivot from optimism and gratitude during storms of any nature.
My sincere appreciation if you’ve read this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: https://tinyurl.com/yycm7d2w
Eva’s Byte #484 – Mettle to the Pedal
During the past week, one of life’s hairpin turns mandated I step up my A-game. Catapulted from the comfort zone of my office in the capacity of a writer, I literally hit the road for them thar hills by way of the interstate. Previously avoided due to traffic congestion in the aftermath of a bridge closure and lane conversion, I put my mettle to the pedal behind the wheel.
Piece of cake! Until the eastbound return trip during rush hour which entailed a 30-minute delay.
Not my first A-game rodeo by any means, it just goes to show you what an adrenaline rush under fire can accomplish.
Now, to put my mettle to the pedal in fabricating my next work in progress, put on hold during a crisis that’s stabilized, and a visit from family. I’ve come up with names for the characters who’ve made themselves known and began drafting the prologue (177 words thus far).
*For every strike, may our resilience enable us to get back in the game.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
Piece of cake! Until the eastbound return trip during rush hour which entailed a 30-minute delay.
Not my first A-game rodeo by any means, it just goes to show you what an adrenaline rush under fire can accomplish.
Now, to put my mettle to the pedal in fabricating my next work in progress, put on hold during a crisis that’s stabilized, and a visit from family. I’ve come up with names for the characters who’ve made themselves known and began drafting the prologue (177 words thus far).
*For every strike, may our resilience enable us to get back in the game.
My sincere appreciation to you for reading this far.
Eva’s Authors Den Page: http://www.authorsden.com/evapasco
