Success With a Third-Grade Diploma

"Success implies endeavor."

-Mr. Knightley

I got my hair cut this evening.
I got bangs.
Farnham would approve.
(If you got that reference, you're a peach.)

The reviews for Anon, Sir, Anon are beginning to roll in and I am pleasantly ... not surprised, per se, but definitely un-vaguely gratified that I have (seemingly) succeeded with it. One thing I will say is that if you are toying with a novel set in another area of the world, it helps to have people belonging to that culture to read through and tap you on the shoulder when you've misspoken. Ness, of course, was invaluable in Stage Uno, but my more recent friend, Suzannah Rowntree , has made herself most useful by sending in a list of British slip-ups I made in the draft. Thanks to her, readers in the UK and Down Under will not be upset by the wrong geometrical pattern of Vivi's scones and the fact that I misused "chuffed". Thanks, Suzannah!

I have been having the most wonderful time feeling unstressed about Anon, Sir, Anon and then realizing, by turns, that I have to apply all of Rachelle's edits this week because St. Rachel is to format after that, and then I've got to get the cover out for a reveal and then I have to start asking for interviews and guest posts and start writing those because soon I'll be helping plan a wedding. Oy. I can't help but be excited, though, and it is a wonderful feeling to be this close to finishing a project of which you are decidedly proud.

On a seemingly random note, elderly people can be the most amusing things. And not by virtue of being senile (most aren't), but simply because they're allowed to say what they jolly well want and many avail themselves of this privilege. At a graduation party I attended this past weekend, I was given the job of corralling all the chillens into the twelve-passenger van and carting them home (Mama and Dad were off celebrating their 26th anniversary). As I stood there trying to pick out my siblings from a crowd of half-a-hundred other people below four feet in height, an older gentleman sidled over. This man was the father of a South African woman with whom I have been pleased to be acquainted, and as I was looking for one or another of the kids, he said to me: "Young lady?"
"Yes?" I answered with a bright smile. His accent was enough to bring that on.
"Is that your truck?"
He gestured to our van and I laughed. "It is my van."
"You drive that truck?"
"Yes. And I learned to drive on one even bigger."
"Women and girls in this country drive such large vehicles," he said with a wry smile.
I then explained to him the story of the van (how it was gifted to us on our driveway in the middle of the night by some good fairies) and how it better fit our family's needs than driving two cars everyplace.
"Can I give you an address?" he asked with a wink, "In case anyone wants to give you another free vehicle and you'd rather send them to me."

Oh, I love accents and interesting people. In addition to my conversation with the South African gentleman, I was able to spend a lovely evening at my grandmother's house, Sunday. We discussed everything from actors of the 40's to Doc Martin, from Charlotte Bronte's life to funny things heard on the radio, from the most terrible series on television (Dance Moms) to education opportunities and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As I've gotten older, I've realized that so much of my refined taste, my love of literature, elegance, art, and the like, comes from Grandmama. I never tire of hearing about her college experiences in NYC during the 1950's, nor of her exploits as a child in Norfolk, VA in the 30's and 40's.
As we discussed our annoyance with the lack of grammatical graces in most modern-day conversation (and one case in particular), I tried to excuse the person with: "But I am not sure what kind of education he had."
Grandmama raised her eyebrow (you've never experienced such disgrace as that felt by the person on the opposite end of the eyebrow), raised pointer finger, stuck her tongue in her cheek and said, with all the sass of an accomplished woman in her eighties: "That is NO excuse. My grandmother held national and regional offices in all the clubs of which she was a member. She memorized Robert's Rules of Order and chaired the meetings. She read all the classics and judged Flower Arranging shows at her Garden Club and taught herself Japanese floral art. She was smart as a whip and do you know what level of education she had?"
"I'm ... not sure," I said, feeling suitably impressed.
"Third-grade." Grandmama dropped her finger and tapped the wood of the table with her nail, just as she always had, the light catching in her amethyst ring, her mother's diamond engagement ring, her own wedding band, just as it always does. "And she educated herself because she cared. So none of this. Anyone can learn if they've a mind to."

Have I mentioned elderly people make me smile? And it's so true. Anyone can learn if they've a mind to. Your mind is a beautiful treasure and some people, like my grandmother's grandmother, have treasured it enough to hard-scrabble their way to wits. Please don't waste the opportunities you have been given. It's so much more inspiring to work your mind to the hilt.

To Fan-Letter or Not to Fan-Letter?

"I admire Shakespeare enormously. But since I can't be him, I'm glad that his marriage was unhappy and that he's dead."

-Bauvard

Our internet is not working. I know you can comprehend how utterly incomprehensive that is. Internet not working? Like, what the blazes? I don’t mean that we are having any large problems. It’s just that I’m sitting here waiting for the Blogger page to load so I can actually blog and instead I’m having to type all of this into a blank Word document. Amazon is loading the super slow html version of the page as I try to check on Five Glass Slippersreviews and it is taking me back to the 90’s and I’m once again overwhelmed with gratefulness that I was not an 80’s kid.

Random asides wrapped up, I wanted to write today on the subject of fan-mail. I’ve always rather scoffed at the practice of fan-mail because I have a mortal dread of seeming like One of Those People. I don’t know how many of you have Instagram accounts and follow celebrities (my celebrity follows are left at Owl City and Broadway stars) but if you do, you will probably relate to a certain sinking sensation in the pit of your stomach when you inadvertently read the latest comment of the queue of four-hundred twenty-seven such worthless things: “SO hey, I love you sosososososossososososososos much and you’re like the best thing ever and I like would scream and cry and absolutely DIE of joy and tears if you followed me back. LOVE YOUR MUSIC. Xoxoxoxxx.”

Cringe-worthy.

So for years and years I thought of all fan-mail as that sort of saccharine thing and I figured I would always always hold myself to a snobbier standard that scoffed at such things. Then I began to write and when I was a writer, I noticed how good it felt to have my hard work acknowledged and appreciated. It is a truth universally acknowledged that most people don’t do things for praise (At least … I thought it was. Ahem.), but praise is a wonderful thing in its place. That place, dear reader of mine, is among the responsible, coherent public.

Intelligent fan art, fan mail, and fan other things (I still cringe at fan-fic but that is just my opinion) are the public’s way of letting a person know they place worth on what you do and that they think it worth their while to tell you about it.

The more I looked at fan-mail this way, the less I despised it and before too long I found myself trekking to our mailbox with a letter in hand. This letter was for historical romance author Sarah Sundin and upon its reception Sarah took a photo and put in on her Facebook page. She enjoyed my calm, coherent, congratulatory letter. I was not dying of shame in my corner over a letter I had (not) written in glitter gel-pens and decorated with an unseemly quantity of rainbow Lisa Frank stickers. I wrote a letter with my real (quiet and commonplace) feelings of admiration for her novel and I sent that letter and it was received gladly.

I’ve only written one other fan-letter after this, (though my sister, Leah, wrote to Broadway star Laura Osnes and actually got a reply.) With the publishing of Five Glass Slippers, I have been thinking a lot about what blessing it is to know someone appreciates your work and has taken the time to tell you about it. In the final line-editing copy stages of the pre-publishing work, one of my “Slipper Sisters” emailed to tell me her mother had read The Windy Side of Care and adored it.  That email is going down in history as one that made me happiest of all. It was a simple thing of a few lines and it gave me the boost I needed to finish up the work I had to do. In the same way, last week I received an email from a total stranger who had read Fly Away Home on the recommendation of a friend and very much enjoyed it. Again, none of the fan-girlish (or fan-boyish, which is almost creepier because guys tend to be blessedly understated) effluence that makes one discount the praise immediately.

Because we do.

We do get horrible shivers up our spines (and famous people get them worse) when we open an email or read a letter or what-have-you that is nothing but sugar mixed with that fake maple syrup spread over doughnuts stuffed with caramel frosting and pitted dates that have been chopped up into a compote with children’s ibuprofen and treacle.

The best kind of praise is intelligent praise. I was set to thinking after a comment left by one of my readers on my post about taking criticism. In this comment, the lady said that low-ratings are actually good for the health of public opinion because they make it obvious that you haven’t rigged the votes in your favor. I quite agree. I love to know that a reader loved my book. I’m sure actors or athletes enjoy the sensation too. But if I open an email that says, in essence, “This is the best book ever written and you are a modern-day Dickens. Period.” I am amused and happy but I can’t resist a sort of Miss Taylor To Emma Woodhouse Smile-Across-The-Table. (Dear reader, I have never received an email like that, never fear.)

How much would I rather an email like that I received last week: a simple congratulation of a job well done, quite understanding that many people do jobs equally well done!

In the end, I suppose this is a post of release, as if you needed my sanction on things you wished to do: write fan-letters.

Write them calmly, honestly, and with your natural tone. None of this stiff formality that has no personality but go easy on hyperbole.

Send those letters to people you admire (Even people you actually know. They deserve fan-mail too).

Wait patiently. Maybe they’ll write back. Maybe they won’t. Why did you write? If it was simply to congratulate them, you’ll not want to be another letter to gain a reply sitting in their slush pile.

Do it again. (To a different person or at least for a different occasion.)

And that, dear reader, is how I’d recommend writing fan-mail.

Please let it be understood that I’m not fishing for you to write me fan-mail by creating this post. It was more of a, “Oh, I wonder if my fan-mail (to a celebrity this time) will actually get read. Probably not. Oh well. Hey! Blog-post fodder.”

Hey Gents: an open letter to my male followers

Dear Gentlemen:
      I don't know that I actually have any male followers ... do I? But in the event that I have and you are just the type that lurk in corners and quietly follow, I would like to address this post to you, with love.
     You're such good peaches. By this, I mean that you put up with so much from me in the way of nonsense and I know that girls are able to stand a lot more than guys. If you have stuck around through everything (such as all this talk about Cinderella stories and the like) than you are even more decent chaps than I'd hoped. By the way, I have now read three of the Cinderella stories in the collection and I don't think you'd hate it. There's an awful lot of sense in the Modern Woman's mind that seeps into her telling of a fairy-tale. No spineless Prince Charmings for us, thankee.
      But this letter was not a plug for the male populace to lounge off and buy Five Glass Slippers rather, it is a chance to me to address you and to admit that I know I don't often remember you exist. I have even sometimes opened a post with "Hello, darlings!" which, though not exclusive to the female type, is probably a bit demeaning to a real man. (Darling Men I Know: is it? Do you hate it when I address you as "darling"? You ought to tell me. I will stop if I can.)
     What I wanted to say in this post is that I am looking to increase my male-reader following because there is nothing like having a sensible man's opinion on a matter. Many thanks to Wyatt Fairlead and my own brother, Daniel, for having aided me to the extent they have. I would have you gentlemen know that each of my stories goes past these two fellows to be scanned for matters like, "A man wouldn't say that" etc. before publication in an effort to make them palatable to most varieties of both sexes. I can't tell you how helpful it is to have someone look at my book from the opposite end of the spectrum and make comment.
     My mystery, Anon, Sir, Anon is coming out this autumn and I am much excited because one of the two main characters and practically all the side characters are men and I actually think I've pegged them well. I can't wait for you to meet the an & company and I can't wait to release this book and say, "Look, it's not a romance! Have at it, guys! I hope you like Mr. Orville Farnham and his gentlemen friends."
     Don't be afraid to be involved in this blog, my boys, because I intend to amend matters and start making my posts a bit less Addressed To The Female Contingent and more all-inclusive. I want to know you. I value your opinions. I would love to chat with you about your writing and hear your opinions of mine. I think it is clear by now that I don't expect sugar-coated praise when there are sensible opinions to be heard. Too long has The Inkpen Authoress been a host-place for an all-girls crowd without ever having invited the gentlemen in, though they are most welcome.
    So, dear man, if you are reading this post and find yourself "hear-hearing" in its presence, I invite you to leave a comment and tell me so. Girls, do keep silent this once and let the chaps speak. If there are no comments left, I suppose I'll keep it as proof that I've scared the gents off for the time being.
     In either case, you fellows are jolly welcome if you'd care to make yourselves known. :)
                   Cheers etc.,
                                    Rachel Heffington

Poetry-Flowers :)

...My newest invention in cultivating the Fashion of an Authoress... :)

Poetry-flowers

It almost reconciles me to the gharish idea of cutting up a poetry book that was falling apart. With lines of poetry so close to my brain, pra'aps it'll be beneficial after all! :D The project was not difficult, and I'm rather proud of the results. It's nice when things turn out the way you've planned them.

Real-Life Author Interview: Angela Bell

I'd like to introduce my good writing friend, Angela Bell! :) She is a homeschool graduate and lives with her family and 3 dogs in Texas! :) You can got to her wonderful blog here.
So, Angela, it's great to have you here on the Inkpen Authoress! How are you this fine morning? :)

I'm doing quite well. Thank you for having me!
Tell us a little about your latest writing project!

Right now, I am working on a science fiction novel currently titled The Remnant. It's a sequel to my first completed manuscript and follows my heroine, Yakira, as she struggles to trust a power she cannot see in order to save her planet from an ancient enemy.

What is your number one, brilliant piece of advice for other aspiring authors?

My number one piece of advice would be to learn the writing craft. Study books about writing rules and techniques, maybe see if there's an author/writer in your area who would be willing to meet with you and share their wisdom, and read as many good fiction books as you can, both classics and new releases. Once you've learned the basics, if you're serious about pursuing publication, attended writer's conferences. Writer's conferences are expensive, but the wealth of knowledge and chance to pitch your story to editors and agents is well worth it. Plus, you get to meet other writers! :-)

Are you seeking to become a published author yourself, or do you write for fun?

My writing started out as a hobby and then over time developed into a passion. I am now pursuing publication and dream of seeing one of my books in print!

How do you get inspiration for your stories?

There isn't a particular thing that I do to get story inspiration. I just sort of live life, pay attention, and take notes. Historical people and events, lessons and experiences from my own life, and scripture have all inspired my stories over the years.

Are your characters inspired by real-life people, your imagination, or a little of both?

A little of both. Some of my characters are loosely based on friends, family, or people I have observed in various places. Other characters reflect different sides of my own personality, and the rest are pure imagination. :-)

Do you have a favorite spot to write? (If you have to sit at the computer desk you might just skip this question! :D)

I hope one day to have my own office dedicated to writing. It would have an antique desk, shelves lined with books, and a large bay window so I could gaze at my beautiful garden when the words refuse to come. However, that office is still a dream, so . . . I write on my bed with my computer perched on a cushioned lap desk. ;-)

Do you work best in peace and quiet or with background noise and action?

When I write I need total silence in order to concentrate. However, I can’t sit still for too long or my creativity becomes stagnant. After working a few hours, I usually take a break and move around to revive my imagination.

Which area would you say you're strongest in as a writer? Plot, dialog, characterization, action, showing vs. telling, description, etc?

I think my strengths would be Showing vs. Telling and staying in one Point of View at a time.

Which area is hardest for you?

Plot. I organize the events of a book on worksheets, but I have to constantly return to my notes to remember what's supposed to happen next. And I usually have to make plot changes during the writing process because my first idea either wasn't the best or wasn't plausible.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

This list could go on forever, but I will limit myself to the first five that come to mind. Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Bryan Davis, and Frank Peretti.

Do you agree with the old adage, "Write what you know"?

To an extent, yes. You should definitely be familiar with what you're writing about (history, emotions, story world, etc.) so that it feels real to the reader. However, if authors limited themselves only to what they knew, then we would miss out on fanciful stories like The Chronicles of Narnia or Winnie the Pooh. Knowledge is good, but no story is worth reading if it is void of imagination.

Any tried and true tips as far as technique goes?

One helpful technique that I've recently learned is the Cause and Effect rule. For example, "Rachel shivered as the cold wind blew." The cause and effect in that sentence are out of order. The cold wind blowing (cause) should come before the shivering (effect). So the sentence should go like, "As the cold wind blew with a fierce howl, Rachel shivered." See the difference? That attention to detail is what separates good writers from great writers. :-)

What is your remedy for Writer's Block? :)

I have a couple tricks to chase away writer's block. 1. Play the What if Game? - What if this happend? What if my character did this? Etc. I play around with different "what ifs" until I find the scenario that works best. 2. Randomness - My writing mentor, Teri Dawn Smith, gave me a game cube with different letters on it. If I get stuck, I roll the cube and then come up with ideas based on the letter I rolled.

And now for your last, and most challenging question: Why is a raven like a writing-desk? :)

Even though the Mad Hatter's riddle is meant to have no answer, a raven and a writing desk both remind me of Edgar Allan Poe. ;-)

What a great interview! Thanks so much, Angela! :) It was great having you! ~Rachel