Writers, Storytellers, and Liars

Mother Eats Own Baby, News At Eleven!

I have made part of my living for some time as a storyteller. Much of that has been live storytelling. You know, standing in front of people and telling the story right there. I find myself wanting to do more of this and enjoy more of this. I know, strange for a person who writes, right?

Mother eats own baby, story at eleven!

For thousands of years, people lived in oral tradition. There were bards or storytellers who not only taught things through story, but gave the latest news as well. People would gather to hear. As the story was told, the listeners could feel themselves becoming a part of the story. They, at least internally, cheered for the hero and booed the villain.

We still do that. It’s why we like to watch movies, but it has lost something.

Story has been an important part of our lives since the first amoeba said to the second amoeba, “Hey, did you hear about….” I want to make a case for going back, at least to some degree, to those days.

My problem with movies, recorded music, or any other form of non-live entertainment is that it is dead. We all know that the person in the movie is not only not real, but the stunts they do or the dialog they speak has probably been done thousands of times until it is perfect. Is your life perfect?

Anyone who has done any recording knows that you go over it and over it until there are no mistakes. You play the same tune or sing the same song so many times you think you may barf if you have to do it one more time.

When it’s live, it’s a whole different ball game.

I’ve played music and sung in public for years. I can hardly remember a time when I made no mistakes. Actually, I don’t think there was a time. You miss a beat, you flub a line. It’s what makes it human. I love going to see a live performance and watching as the performer screws something up and then finds their way back to where they should be again. It shows me talent.

Anyone can make a mistake and then curl up and die!

The same is true with a story, whether it’s short or something more like a play. I much prefer to see the one telling the story weave it into something that the audience can connect with. It might be something as simple as changing up the timing. It might be just a pause…in just the right place.

When the story or the music gets written down, something in it dies. Sure, it’s done the same way every time, but there is no life in it. The bards of the past would keep the story the same, but they would emphasize different parts or leave out something so the story could meet the audience where they lived. When we started to insist that everything be written down and done the same way every time, we lose the life in it.

In this day of rapidly decreasing face to face social interaction, I think something can be said for going back to some live performance. We need some unedited uncensored story. We need to find the life in the story and song. It’s the spontaneity, yes, and even the mistakes, that makes us human!

Why You Should Get An Editor!

If you have read any of this blog, you will know that I am all for self publishing. I believe that it is the way of the future. There are some problems, however. I want to address the biggest one right now.

Why you should get an editor!

I am currently reading a self published book on my Kindle. I won’t out the name of the book or the author, but this guy should really have gotten an editor, or a better one. The book is rife (you like that word?) with grammatical errors and bad word choices.

An editor not only will help you with story continuity, but more importantly, will help you with your writing. An editor would have questioned my use of the word “rife” as many may not know what it means. The editor might suggest using “full” instead. The editor would also question the way I used parenthesis.

Now, even the best authors and editors let things slip. I’m sure you have read books by well known authors that have errors in their books. It happens! I know I have errors in my books and my editor and I go through the book at least three times and usually more. An editor will help you keep the mistakes to a minimum.

Can’t I self edit?

No, you can’t. Sure, I self edit my blog posts. I’m not going to hire an editor for this, but the writing and the amount of errors shows it. I go through the post a couple of times, but I still miss a lot of stuff. A book is a completely different story. You know what you want to say, but did you say it in such a way that your reader understands? Did you misspell mispell?

If you can’t hire an editor, then get someone who knows what they are doing. Make sure they didn’t flunk out of English in third grade. Also, get someone who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth. If you ask someone who will just tell you your work is wonderful, then you really aren’t getting anywhere. The truth is, none of us writes wonderful stuff all the time. No one!

Where do you find an editor? There are lots of them on the internet. Just do a search for book editor. Some of the publishing venues like Createspace has editors available for hire. Check it out. It will be well worth it!

Should You Self Publish

I recently published my third book. Yes, it is self published. I understand the long held stigma that a self published book is a piece of crap, but I don’t think that’s true.

Should you self publish?

It used to be that the traditional publishing houses were the only way to go. They decided who would be published and who wouldn’t. They gave great editorial help to the author and, even better, great publicity.

As the internet has grown, the large publishing houses decided, rather than go with the trend, they would hold out. They wanted to keep the power and say they had over the market. It hasn’t gone so well and many of them are going broke. They acted just like the big recording studios.

It is working out about the same.

There are few artists these days that record on big labels. It is just too easy to record your own stuff and get it out there. Why pay a label most of your profits when you don’t have to? Just to say you are on the label? Expensive pride!

The same goes for publishing.

In todays’ world, it is so easy to publish your own that it makes no sense to give most of whatever profits you make to the publishing house. Times are tough and those major houses no longer give the service that they used to. Now, I have to admit that I have never been published by a big house and so what I am about to say is hearsay. I do read a lot of blogs by authors that have been and they say the same thing.

Most houses no longer put out the big publicity push. You want to do signing? Great! Make the appointments and go there. The house doesn’t do that any more. Want ads to push your book? Great, take them out. Want social media? Get on it!

So, you need them because…? Sure, they have editors on staff. That editor doesn’t work for free and gets a cut of your book. You can hire an editor online. In fact, you can do all that needs to be done yourself and will probably have to do that even if you do go the traditional route.

Here’s what I do and so do many others.

I go to createspace and upload my book so that it will be on Amazon. Then I go to Kindle Direct Publishing and upload it so that it is available on Kindle. Next, I go to Smashwords and upload it there. That gets it available on the other ebook readers and some readers that work on your computer. It takes a day, maybe two to get that all done.

How long did you wait to hear from your last query letter?

Now some will say that self publishing allows lots of junk to be out there. Yes, it does. Anyone with enough smarts to do what I just described can have his or her book published.

Have you ever read a book you thought sucked by a well known author?

Taste in reading material is subjective. There is an author out there that is very popular, who I won’t name, that lots of people love and I think his stuff stinks! Too much description and not enough action. That’s my opinion. I don’t read his stuff, but I have read unknown authors that I very much enjoyed their work.

The traditional publishing route can’t guarantee that a book will be great. They can hype it up, but if it stinks, it stinks. The market is ruled by public opinion. If people love it, it sells. If they hate it, it dies. It’s never been any different.

If you have a work that you would like to see published, do it! Get the thing edited by someone other than your mother, who loves everything you do, and polish it until it shines. Then, do what I described and give it a shot. How do you know? You might be the next great author!

P.S. Check out Chosen One over on the sidebar.

Do Stories Have A Place In Today’s World?

It has been far too long since I posted on this site. It seems that life so often gets in the way. I have to say that I have been going through some stuff in my life, reorganizing and it has taken down a winding path. I hope to get back to this.

Do stories have a place in today’s world?

I was told not that long ago that story telling, my story telling, was not going to ever make me rich. How true. I’m quite sure it will not. It has, however, given me a living for the past fifteen years. As a minister, that’s what I did, tell stories.

Telling stories has also added to my income by selling my books. I only have a couple at this point but, (shameless plug here) my latest novel is waiting in the wings for the proofs to be done and I intend for that to change.

Will telling stories change anything?

Well, in one way or another, most of life is telling stories. Music is certainly telling stories, raising children is telling stories, working with other people includes telling stories. Most everything I can think of, in one way or another, includes telling stories.

Telling stories has shaped civilization since the dawn of time. Many do not see it as they believe themselves to be outside the fables and myths that shape their lives. The truth is, they are actors in the play.

Are you a story teller. Before you answer, take the time to watch for a day or two and count how many times you tell a story or two. I bet you will find that you too are a storyteller. You just aren’t getting rich by it!

Frankie’s Bestest Halloween!

I have to say that the inspiration for this story is the house across the street from my grand-daughters Grace and Morgan’s house.

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Frankie couldn’t believe that Halloween was almost here. Each year, for as long as he could remember, Halloween was his favorite. He loved to get dressed up and he loved going trick or treating.

Frankie lived with his mom in a small house on a quiet street. Things had been tough since his dad was gone, but Frankie and his mom had a good time anyway.

Across the street was a huge house and that’s where Billy lived. Billy was pretty much Frankie’s best friend. Billy was a lot older than Frankie. He was in high school, but he always made time for Frankie.

Frankie would head over to Billy’s house nearly everyday when he saw Billy walk home from school. Billy would give Frankie a snack and they would talk about stuff.

When Halloween got closer, Billy’s parents went all out decorating their front yard. They didn’t make it too scary, for the little kids, but it was scary enough! Frankie always had a great time helping Billy and his parents put out the decorations. They were so cool!

There were skeletons hanging in the trees, there were scarecrows standing by a fake graveyard, there were even some of those boxes that people are buried in, coffins, Billy said they were called.

Frankie could hardly wait the two weeks before Halloween came.

On Halloween night, Frankie got into his costume and got his plastic pumpkin to put his candy in. His mother reminded him that he could only go up and down their street and then come right home.

Since they lived in the middle of the block, Frankie’s plan was to go down one side of his street, cross over, come up the other side, stopping at Billy’s half way, and then the rest of the way down and back on his side again. He figured that way, he would get the most candy!

Frankie loved going up to the houses and knocking on the doors and saying, “Trick or Treat!” He knew almost all the people on his street and it was fun to see if they could guess who he was all dressed up like a pirate, or a Martian.

Old Mr. Hanson, the last house on this side, was dressed up when he came to the door. Frankie couldn’t tell if Mr. Hanson was supposed to be a cowboy, or a farmer. Mr. Hanson guessed who Frankie was and gave him extra candy!

When Frankie made his was half way back and to Billy’s house, he was a little scared. Sure he had helped to set up Billy’s decorations, but at night, they seemed a little spookier. Also, there were sounds playing now. Screams and stuff like that. Frankie wasn’t so sure he wanted to go up to the door.

Gathering his courage, Frankie headed up the walk. On his left there were the skeletons hanging in the tree that he helped put up, but they looked scarier now. On his right were the coffin things he helped Billy put out, but they were much scarier now.

Just as he was walking past one of the coffin things, the lid popped open and someone jumped out of it yelling and screaming.

Frankie stood frozen for a second and then his pumpkin went sailing across the yard spilling candy everywhere. Frankie jumped nearly straight up almost as high as the trees. At least it felt that high. When he came down, he was already running as fast as his legs would go toward his house.

Frankie thought he was screaming as loud as he could, but when the thing from the coffin grabbed him by the back of his costume, he realized he could scream louder.

“Frankie! Calm down. It’s me, Billy. Stop! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you that bad.”

Frankie’s legs were still churning, but he wasn’t going anywhere. Billy was holding on to him. Billy’s words finally made their way into Frankie’s head and he stopped running, at least so fast.

Frankie turned to look and there was Billy, all made up to look like something really scary. Billy got Frankie to come look at the coffin thing he had jumped out of. Billy showed him where there were holes cut in the side so Billy could peak out to see who was coming. If it was real little kids, he wouldn’t jump out, he didn’t want to scare them!

“I’m sorry,” Billy said. “I thought that since you helped put all this stuff out, it wouldn’t scare you. I was just teasing.”

Frankie tried to not let Billy see the tears running down his cheeks. He felt really embarrassed that Billy had scared him that much.

“Come on, Frankie. Let’s get your candy picked up and then I’ll go with you to some more houses.”

Billy helped Frankie find his pumpkin and then pick up as much candy as they could find in the dark. Billy went up to his house and got a bag and then went with Frankie trick or treating to the rest of the houses on their street. When they got home, Billy talked to Frankie’s mom for a minute and then he and Frankie went out again to another street.

When they finally got home, Frankie was really tired! He had filled up his pumpkin and the paper sack that Billy had gotten for him. Billy had taken him down two or three more streets!

Billy helped Frankie’s mom get Frankie out of his costume and ready for bed. When Frankie’s mom had tucked Frankie in, Billy came and sat on his bed.

“I’m really sorry about scaring you like that. Come over tomorrow and you can help take all that stuff down. I’ll even let you get in the box like I was and look out the holes in the side. I’m sorry! You’re my best friend.”

Billy left and Frankie lay there on his bed thinking about the night. He had really been scared at Billy’s house, but then Billy had gone with him and it had been great. He had more candy than he ever remembered getting on Halloween.

The best thing though was that Billy said he was Frankie’s best friend. As Frankie drifted off to sleep he thought that this was his bestest Halloween ever

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Why You Should Tell Your Stories

Have you ever had someone tell you that your writing or your stories are no good? If you haven’t, then you haven’t submitted them to many people. Especially if you have ever tried the traditional publishing world, you have heard words like these or something similar. If you have heard those words, don’t give up!

Why you should tell your stories.

Unless you are stealing your stories from someone else, which I don’t recommend, then those stories are unique. They have never entered the world before and they never will again; not in that specific way.

Your stories teach, entertain, and inspire others. If you let some idiot tell you that your writing is not worth doing, that your stories are not worth telling, you are cheating the world, the universe, of something very special.

No, your stories will not touch every person on the planet. Some people will not respond to them and those are the folks who will be your critics. I prefer to think of those people as poor broken souls who just don’t have what it takes to enjoy my story.

Sound a little egocentric?

I don’t think so!

(But then why would an egocentric person ever think that?)

We tell our stories to share with others. We write our stories in the hope that someone will get something out of it. If we let ourselves be discouraged by someone who doesn’t get the story, we are robbing those who would.

I encourage you to write, to tell your stories. Tell them to anyone who will listen. Tell them as a gift to the other, which is what they are.

If you don’t, then we all lose!

Reap And Manifest

Here’s a new story for my new “General Stories” page.

The story is about a man who never had anything good happen to him and how he changed that. Give it a listen and leave me a comment on how you like it!

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A New Story: Meghan Goes To School

My grand-daughter, Grace started school this week. In line with that, I made a story up about a little girl who goes to school. It is a combination of Grace and her first day, and my own daughter Amanda, who was upset after her first day because she still couldn’t read. I’ll give you the story to read, or you can listen to the recording.

Meghan was so excited. It was her very first day at school! She woke up even before the sun was up in the sky. She hurried downstairs and was sitting in her chair for breakfast when her mother came into the dining room.

“You’re up a little early,” her mother said.

Her mother looked like she would have liked a couple more hours of sleep.

Meghan hurried through her breakfast and then ran upstairs to get her new school clothes on. She came back downstairs and put on her backpack, even though it weighed forty-eight tons! Whatever a ton was.

“You’re a little early, sweetheart. The bus won’t be here for another two hours,” her mother told her.

Finally, the bus came and Meghan got on while her mom and dad took pictures of her going off to school for the first time.

When the bus pulled up to the school, Meghan’s teacher was there waiting for her and all the other kids who were in Meghan’s class.

Her teacher helped them all find their class. She helped them take off their backpacks and put away all the things they had brought. Things like their art shirts and stuff.

Then, they were given their seat and the teacher started telling them all about the rules and things they could and couldn’t do. Stuff like, they couldn’t run in the halls and they had to raise their hands if they wanted to say something.

When it was time to go home, Meghan couldn’t believe the day had gone so fast.

Meghan got on the bus the next day, and the next. She got on the bus everyday and was excited everyday. She had so much to tell her mom and dad when she got home.

The last day of the week, Meghan got off the bus, but she wasn’t happy. She scuffed her feet as she walked from the bus to her house and she didn’t have a smile on her face.

“What’s wrong?” her mother asked.

“Oh, nothing,”

“Well, somethings wrong. Tell me what it is and we maybe we can fix it.”

“Well, I went to school all week. I still don’t know how to read and I still can’t add two numbers together. I still have a hard time looking at the clock and knowing what time it is. I don’t think school is worth it!”

Meghan’s mother tried not to laugh.

“Sweetheart, did you think you would learn all that in the first week? It takes time to learn things like that. In no time, you will know all that and more. Why I can’t begin to tell you all the things you will learn in school.”

“You mean, there’s more than that to learn?”

“Yes! There is so much more to learn you won’t believe it!” her mother assured her.

That made Meghan very happy. Her mother was very old and so she must know things like that. Meghan finished her snack and then ran up to change out of her school clothes.

While she was changing, she decided that she would give school another week’s try.

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New page! Children’s Stories!

I just added a new page to this site. I will, from time to time, be adding some of my original stories. Some will be adult stories, and some will be children’s stories. Today, I added a children’s story called, “Jamie Was Scared!”

I would love your feedback on these stories. Let me know if I should add more and if you enjoy them!

Here is the link to “Jamie Was Scared!“

How To Live Life

I read a blog today that I will give you the link to in a minute. What I liked about this blog post is that it talks about how we shouldn’t get hung up on the things that are bad in the world.

How to live life.

I spent many years being a dooms day thinker. There was too much pollution. There was too much corruption. There was too much war. All those things were true and they still are. The thing is, I don’t obsess about them like I used to.

I think we have to work to fix the things we think are broken. We have to do all we can to change the things we think need changing. That might mean that we are, occasionally, on opposite sides, but that doesn’t matter as much as being involved.

If we all worked toward the goals we think important, things would improve. Even if we work on opposite sides. There will be compromise, there will be adjustments and things will improve.

I know. I said not to worry, be happy.

Just because you work to improve things does not mean you have to let those issues and situations get you down.

Yes, there is lots of stuff that needs fixing. There is also lots of stuff that is good. Take the time to look around and appreciate the things that are good. Don’t’ spend so much time complaining about the bad that the beauty and wonder of life pass you by.

Take some time to smell the roses or the coffee, or whatever it is you like to smell. The give ‘er hell and fix things up!

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