Why

be kind life is short

Why

Why 

Americans open potty mouth 
Elections bring out worst 

unfriend them on Facebook, but

eat their homemade cookies;

but curse their mother-

 your freedom words online

let loose your filter. 

Century wood stove flings

burning shit on their name.

Why?

Car cut you off Nürburgring?

Hail horn, pull out a 22 bought

from rude Cabela's clerk.

You said "go fuck hell."

Okay, your grammar faults,

ask for a case for the gun 

because you're entitled.
Clerk goes home hungry from his
minimum wage job.

Why?

Dog on internet snuggles a baby, 

makes tears come out; but a child 
flooded, homeless, kidnapped, 
orphaned by bombs...

skepticism stops you from typing, 
"What do you need?
Give 50 cents to corrupt Red Cross.

Why ?

Dog has a heart.

Your core has love let it out,

empathy grows aching,

no-one taught chase 
a ball with 'fever love:

clean water, education, safe.

You know answers

 ready to show,

not cop out, say, "I'm

voting and reading words," 
because every step

 we Must ask:

WHY?

Ending In Sight

End in sight on second revision.
This weekend:
worked Saturday with my friend Hillary
it wasn't a paycheck or productive, but we
enjoyed each other's company.


gardened, wrote, hiked, wrote, cleaned, wrote,
wanted to paint the sun shades but it sprinkled
enough to make the cars a mess
they say El Nino is coming,
go figure

edited forty pages but can't decide on the ending
realize I keep using certain words that when
I start the next novel I swear I will delete
here are my sinner darlings:
I think
and
that
sound
***
specific to this novel the repeater / recycled are:
dark
dust
devil

I'm using symbols and

images in the narrative to clarify

the voice that changes.

¥ § ҈ ‡ ∞

When I began this river, this rail
I thought the road was straight
I killed off a character who is sweet
let one get away with murder, again.
Does an ending have to be just?
It's 102322 words, I need to cut
more then send off to Dave Malone
for editing
Then another process of slashing
excess adjectives and adverbs
Sorry no punctation in this one,
just a long rain run on of what I think

© 2014 caroline gerardo

Misty and fog on California field

Rail fountain

waterfall

My Writing Process

Carla Stockton asked me to participate in this chain gang blog hop.

http://carlastockton.me/2014/06/23/my-writing-process-blog-tour/

1)What am I working on?

Novel in progress working title: Eco Terrorist

Natalie Clark retires from MI5 during the Great Drought. Seeking a life far away from her job as an Analytic Soothsayer she buys a  ranch in rural Wyoming. Two men will pull her back to her old life. One wants to poison the Ogallaha Aquifer (all the remaining water in the West and Midwest). The other desires to control it all. Can she stop them?

Currently the book is 188998 words. I’m revising. Preparations are underway to send to my editor. Revision for me is on a paper printed copy. I read each word aloud. My goal is to edit ten pages a day.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I’m a member of International Thriller Writers. The underlying structure of my novels are “thriller”; however they are literary. I ghostwrote a few thrillers for someone else first.

I’m not following the typical format. My hero is heartbroken. There are two villains. Readers may relate to the bad guys. Both are fathers, both have built lives for their families. However the process in which they achieved their goals is dead wrong. The setting is the Midwest /West after climate change has left most with no resources for water. My work has been called “transgressional, dark, poetic, and gothic.” This story is written in four different voices. Each has their own version of the story within the tale. Mise en abyne in which the French would look for clues in each voice.

Thriller genre seems at odds with literary fiction and poetic structure. In this novel there are secrets, song bird calls and bits of tornadoes. Someone else may categorize the book as apocalyptic.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I have a million stories to share. I hope to make a reader think. I’m writing about this time from my spot on the planet. My poetry, short stories and novels aren’t easy reads but they are true.

I write or I must surrender to the ashes.

4) How does your writing process work?

To write a novel:

I start with drawings, photographs and my moleskin notepad. This year I used instagram as a journal to keep ideas flowing.

First I use a white board. It is four feet by six feet. The story is mapped on the board as a graph.

Next, I write every day. The Chapters are not numbered. They may be shuffled around like cards later. Sometimes I begin with the middle of the narrative. I have a full time job and am a single Mom besides writing.

I am disciplined. Every morning at 5:25 A. M. I’m working on our kitchen table. Weekday evenings I will put in two more hours. I set word count goals. Each day that I achieve the goal I reward myself by going for a hike or working in the garden for an hour.

Once the first draft is completed I print the novel. At this point I will write a short story or poetry to give the draft a rest for a couple weeks.

I am creative in my daily life. Come over for dinner. You will be entertained.

Revisions begin: this part is slow. When I wrote I often will put two or three words to express an idea in a sentence. I’m not doing spell check or grammar check. I read aloud. Muddling over the exact word choice, uncovering the tool that clearly expresses not just the meaning of the sentence but the sound and rhythm I find my way.

Second edit is to take all the handwritten notes on the hard copy and put them back into the computer.

Total process takes a year or more.

I purchased a couple writing programs (Final Draft, Story lit, White smoke, Story book) none make it easy. This is a long process. My editor uses one then I will finish with whatever he is using.

Word does some tricks with auto saving the wrong copy. In long form at this point you better be labeling each copy and dating it. Otherwise you may have to go back and rework. Ugh.

After editor makes his notes I will share with a couple beta readers.

I lost both mine. My mom had a stroke, then open heart surgery. She’s no longer up for the task, but I will give her a printed copy this summer to attempt the red pen. Any volunteers? Prizes, vacations and wine promised for certain.

Next up:

Judy Serrano graduated from Texas A and M University, Commerce with a BA in English. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Dallas Area Romance Authors. She spends her days writing on her laptop and living in her imagination, when she can steal a private moment. She is the author of "Easter's Lilly," "Brother Number Three," "Relatively Close" and "Memoirs of a Mobster."

Judy currently resides in Texas with her husband, four boys and five dogs. She is also a singer/songwriter in her spare time.

Blog:  http://www.Judyserrano.com

Ewa Zwonarz is a Polish-American writer, author of the soon to be released paranormal young adult novel “Moonchild.” She is a recipient of several awards in journalism and film production, a published poet and an author of a blog. She graduated Valedictorian with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications and works as a Strategic Analyst for a Silicon Valley start up. When she is not working, Ewa is traveling the world collecting morsels of inspiration for her future projects.

Link :  www.dare2begin.com

DAVID B LENTZ

Was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, David B. Lentz graduated from Bates College and has published six novels: "For the Beauty of the Earth", "Bloomsday: The Bostoniad", "AmericA, Inc.: A Novel in Stream of Voice", "Bourbon Street", "The Day Trader" and "The Silver King." In addition, he has published two stage plays, "Bloomsday" and "AmericA, Inc.", as well as a volume of poetry, "Old Greenwich Odes." He introduced a new model of critical literary theory for reviewing novels in his "Novel Criticism." Selected excerpts from his collection of literary works among his novels, stage plays and poetry are available in "Essential Lentz." He is a member of the Center for Fiction in New York, the Royal Society of Literature in London, the Academy of American Poets, and the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He has served Bates College as an Alumnus-in-Admissions (18 years), Stamford-Greenwich Literacy Volunteers of America, Midnight Run for New York City Homeless, Healing the Children Northeast, Inc. (Board), St. Baldricks Foundation for Children's Cancer Research and as a Volunteer in St. Paul's Chapel at Ground Zero. Lentz has lived in the Garden District of New Orleans, Boston's Back Bay, Houston, Philadelphia's Main Line and Greenwich, Connecticut.

link to his blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5884341-us-senator-chris-murphy-responds-to-being-and-homelessness-by-john-sib 

 

 

 

Caroline Gerardo

http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Assets-Bank-Caroline-Gerardo-ebook/dp/B004RCLZXI/ref=la_B004PHVP1C_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404078286&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Boy-Caroline-Gerardo-ebook/dp/B0064FOCZO/ref=la_B004PHVP1C_1_2_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404078325&sr=1-2

My Daily journal here: http://instagram.com/carolinegerardo/

Caroline Gerardo Being a Writer

books
Caroline Gerardo
photograph by Blair Barbeau copyright  2011

I need a black and white photograph for the Thriller Fest catalogue. I just signed up. I fussed over this weekend. Daughter says I need to look tougher. I was thinking the turtle neck beatnik look. She says NO smiling Mom. I think I have settled on this image.
All these silly decisions can make a person wake up thinking.
Learning curve for an author: it is not just about writing a great book.
1. Edit like a demon - use words as clean as arrows or ones with secret sauce. Writing is not just a process it is an art. (background ballet dancers, symphony and  Musée d'Orsay )
2.know formatting for epub, pdf, word, HTML, paperback sizing. I love Garamond and some formats don't - why? Know why. Understand everything about publishing.
3. Learn to produce and worst of all edit a video trailer ( I wake up hearing the word string) Perhaps my next thriller is about an author killing a video editing program/softwear.
4. Social networking: finding your posse. They call it platform I think of it as posse. Manage the time reading all the fabulous things the posse is doing .I find myself lured by the siren song of now twenty one books on my nightstand that I am dying to read. I think there is some procrastination self-sabatoge in the pile of books. Share with anyone all the great opportunities in the world today. We live in such an amazing moment in time.
5. Memorize new poetry to keep word choices with a sound and a fury ( thank you William F.)
6. Keep taking photographs for blogging and visual cues for the writing. I am playing with the idea of using the thousands of pictures I have in a online reading version.
7. Promptly answer emails and incoming requests This task surprises me. I am hearing from strangers who now are friends.
8. Ask for opportunities for reviews, ask people to listen to me read, ask for people to buy my books
as I write this please link on the Smashwords site and order a FREE BOOK or go buy one at AMAZON .
9. Exercise, keep up the day job, feed and water the children -garden and pets.
10. Pray, be thankful, and tell everyone how dear they are to me. Show my joy and love to them. Write some more.
If you are attending Thriller Fest email or tweet me I plan to have fun.

Derrick Character, gentleman and a scholar

I'm back home the sunset was purple and yellow- go Lakers

I’ve been travelling for my book and will share stories of people I met.




He is huge. I don’t know all the Lakers anymore, but his physical presence is so graceful and powerful you can not mistake him as a Titan. I did not know who he is, but he was to kind to not laugh at me. I notice he is wearing the double hospital bracelets. The delivering room kind, where all three of you are tagged. The plastic wristbands are to identify the infant to avoid mix-ups and to avoid strangers in the facility.

“You had a baby?” I point at the blue and clear bands.

His face lights up slowly and builds the most amazing smile.

“Do you want to see her picture?” he answers.

“Oh yes. I still have those bracelets hanging on a jewelry rack.”

He opens his phone and shares images of an angelic dark haired infant in peachy soft pajamas.

“Do you have more?” He responds with sitting up straighter like a kid, excited. He bounces in his seat. He scrolls through pictures of the gorgeous newborn, Mommy, and himself. He is a lucky man to lavish in the joy of being a new father.

In the plane trip he tells me he thought he might have written a book or been a photographer if basketball did not work out. Then he tells me his life story.

Root with me for the happy conclusion to an American Dream story.

Derrick grew up in New Jersey in a tough neighborhood. His mother and grandmother raised him. He says nothing negative about his father, but I understand. As a young boy he had to stand out in a crowd – what is he now six foot nine? He played football and baseball but did not settle on basketball as his real talent until middle school. He went to a private Catholic High School, we have much in common.

Then the draft rules change, the NBA requires high school boys to attend a college for a year, then draft from that arena. He changes High Schools senior year to a prep school that will get him more academically on track to enter a college. He goes to Louisville. He does not say a single negative thing about Pitino, I know the news about him in Federal Court, but we don’t go there. Derrick is still basking in the choice to be a Daddy.

Hard knocks, yes Derrick has marched through them and going to a smaller arena in Texas might have been for someone else the end of my story. Raise the flag, the rally call. Derrick congratulations. I was proud to sit next to a man of courage. Now with a little beauty to care for and provide for I think his passion on the court will be unstoppable.

After a weekend of no sleep he says,“I am not complaining, I was happy to stay awake all night with my new baby.”

This gentleman is a gem.

If anyone says a single negative word about Derrick Character this season, I will box your chin, all 111 pounds of me. Derrick if you read this, remember all you need is one sentence, ten words a day and in a year you will have double the amount you need for a novel.

Thesaurus Project: QUIRKY

"Quirky Frogbird" photograph copyright 2011 Caroline Gerardo

Abnormal, aberrant, absurd, all over the place, any way the wind blows, balmy, bizarre, arbitrary, blowing hot and cold, careless, changeful, crazy, capricious, contrary, crotchety, daft,  effervescent, erratic, every which way, fanciful, far out, fickle, fitful, flaky, flighty, freakish, freaky, far out, hot and cold, irrational, idiosyncratic, in left field, gaga, helter-skelter, humor some, impulsive, inconstant, kooky, kinky, lubricious, mad, mercurial, moody, mutable, notional, nutty, odd, offbeat, outré, out of ordinary, oddball, off the wall, peculiar, preposterous, punchy, queer, strange, silly, screwy, screwball, strange, temperamental, ticklish, unorthodox, unconventional, unusual, unpredictable, unreasonable, unstable, up and down, vagarious, variable, volatile, wacko, wayward, whimsical, wild, yo-yo, zany

Writing is not the path of least distance

Pierre Fermat wrote his theorem in the margin of a mathematics book, he could show it to be true if only he had more room.

I went to Atlanta for Christmas filled with hope. I got those acrylic nails put on to look beautiful for Tony, and no one noticed that I haven’t worn them in three years. The nails are half way grown out so now they ache when I bump them. On Sunday I cut them down to the ends of my fingers and tried to sand them with a nail file, but mostly picked them off. They hurt and look like shredded plastic bags.

A month has passed since that trip. My heart aches with my fingers. I have worked harder than ever- getting up at five and writing for two hours, then a run then an hour more, next bath go to work- the money making one. A long day at the bank.

Went to the farmers market for all organic vegetables on Sunday. Make delicious dinner each night for the children then four more hours writing. Disciplined to get my 4000 words a day or more on the novel has paid off. First draft is nearly complete. But still, my fingers hurt and my heart wakes me up at night when I have dreams missing him.

If only I had more time, I could prove it all to be true. Back to my list. Keep marching. No time no room in the margins for being blue.

My Russian is very Rusty

Добро пожаловать читателей из Росс

Dobro pozhalovatʹ chitatelyeĭ iz Rossii                                                                          writing

Thesaurus Project: the word Light

The word:     light

illuminated

Synonyms: ablaze, aglow, bright, brilliant, burnished, clear, cloudless, flashing, fluorescent, glossy, glowing, lambent, lucent, luminous, lustrous, phosphorescent, polished, radiant, refulgent, resplendent, rich, scintillant, shining, shiny, sunny, unclouded, unobscured, vivid, well-lighted, well-lit
ultraviolet, moon, blub, candle, shine, sparkle, traffic light, fire, visible, white, infrared, lamp, optics, sight, refraction,

faint faded

no load,  no cargo,  frivolous, skinny, thin, not heavy, ....

chance, happiness, chance,
spiritual,
light hair, blonde, fair, white, not....
good
loose, like bad moral fiber women..., without virtue
hot warm tan
Main Entry: light




ablaze, aglow, bright, brilliant, burnished, clear, cloudless, flashing, fluorescent, glossy, glowing, lambent, lucent, luminous, lustrous, phosphorescent, polished, radiant, refulgent, resplendent, rich, scintillant, shining, shiny, sunny, unclouded, unobscured, vivid, well-lighted, well-lit



Come on now help me tonight this one is difficult - verb noun adjective....

Thesaurus Doesn't Give Enough Word Choices

Words for    RED


My own Thesaurus


ALIZIRIN BEET BLOOD CRIMSON BURGUNDY CHERRY FIRE TOMATO WINE STRAWBERRY OXIDE ROSE MADDER CHINESE MAROON CINNABAR ROSY BRAZILWOOD MAGENTA HOT VENETIAN DANGER WAR POWER LOVE PYRROLE RUBY BLOOD SOCIALIST MARS RED PINK CADMIUM CINNAMON NATHOL RASPBERRY BLOODSHOT INFLAMED SORE RUDDY RUBICUND FLUSHED SCARLETT BOLSHEV






Author: caroline gerardo

http://carolinegerardo.com/

Please feel free to add more