Chiara Talluto

Author, Wife, Busy Mom, A Woman after God's Heart.

Tag: #funwithwriting

Bloom, Baby Bloom!

April 29, 2022 /

Do you know what kind of flowering plant this is? I’m not a botanist or horticulturist, nor do I have a green thumb, but every year this flowering plant blooms for seven to ten days, and then it’s done.

It amazes me how this one plant spends three seasons of preparation only to bloom for such a short time. To think this plant’s purpose is to flourish and fragrant the air, and then to be taken up in the spring wind to pollinate other flowers.

It makes me think of us, humans. We all bloom at a different pace. Some take a lifetime to bloom, some never bloom, and others bloom right away.

Wherever you are in your blooming season, don’t rush. You are where you need to be. Nourish yourself; grow in knowledge, so that others can be blessed in your blooming season.

Writing – A Marriage between You and the Screen

April 16, 2019 /

It takes many drafts to make one beautiful, messy masterpiece.

Writing and authoring novels is like dating to get married. It’s a big commitment. A casual affair won’t work for the writer. Sure, some of you have tried writing, but dabbling in it is not the same as being dedicated and writing for a living.

Terrible drafts unlike awful dates can be massaged and salvaged. Think of all the copies stuffed in some drawer never to be looked at again. It’s doubt that is the killer. Or, maybe you are just a poor writer. It’s okay if this endeavor is not your thing, or what you expected it to be.

Expected? A simple word that holds a lot of weight, so much that a paper towel couldn’t absorb this amount of liquid.

Let’s define expectation…

Expectation:

noun

The act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.

The act or state of looking forward or anticipating.

An expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.

Something expected; a thing looked forward to.

Often expectations: a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.

The degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that he will come.

Most young girls dream of that perfect wedding. A handsome prince that will sweep them off their feet and together, they will live happily ever after. Ah, let me be blunt, I think today’s women and men have realized those days are slim. Chivalry in both genders are depleting. We are too preoccupied and self-absorbed. Screen-time has replaced face-time. Even the age for marriage has gone up. The average age is now 27 years old for women, and 29 years old for men.

With that being said, most people after a certain age choose not to marry. Why? Too much work, set in their ways, they can do everything themselves, and are financially stable. Why take the plunge of marriage when in the U.S. alone, the statistic of divorce is 40-50% for every one marriage.

Some folks I’ve spoken with have said they’d like to write a book. Great, go for it. Wait till they realize how difficult it is. One doesn’t just sit at a computer and type away, and BOOM, you’ve written a book. Yes, that’s how it starts, but you have to keep writing and rewriting until there is a semblance of a storyline. There are rules, such as grammar and punctuation. I’m not talking about emoji’s or abbreviated words. I’m talking about real sentences with commas and periods, and structure, as in a story having a beginning, middle, and end.

The initial draft of a story can be compared to a first date, often awkward. I’ve also heard from some writers that their early manuscripts are some of their best works. Best, as in original, emotional, descriptive, and carefree. Why? Because it’s the very first draft, the first impression, and why not make it your best?

But, that first (draft or date), can be improved. To do so, you have to be willing to share and be open, or else how do you know to continue on?

If a first draft is your FIRST date, what is marriage? Marriage is the countless rough copies/versions of the same story. I can confirm that statement. It took me nine years and 27 versions of “Love’s Perfect Surrender” before the final copy of the story. It took me a year and a half and fourteen versions of “Petrella the Gillian Princess,” and six months and seven versions of “A Tribute to Tulipia”.

I know what you’re thinking. Your drafts keep going down in numbers. True. If you practice writing long enough, you will make progress, but, Petrella, the Gillian Princess and A Tribute to Tulipia were much shorter in book length, and that makes a difference.

I’m currently working on a novel, “Make it Right; Make it Matter”. It has taken me roughly twelve years to write it with 34 versions to date. Eh, who’s counting? I keep tweaking and tweaking because I know it’s not quite finished, yet. Why do all that work? Because it is my “sophomore” full-length novel, and I sincerely believe in the tale so much, I want to make sure it’s done as best as it can be.

Back to marriage. In long-term relationships, people change, and if you believe in the “us” then you will understand that those changes affect the ebb and flow of a union. However, if you are open to growth, are sincere, and devoted, those changes and differences can be overcome. It takes many drafts to make one beautiful, messy masterpiece.

For the first time writer, or the writer who has been at it for years, and this is your TRUE desire, stay the course. Some days and years, the writing will be euphoric and will flow out of you like water from a garden hose. Other times, writer’s block kicks in and that flowing hose, well, it will get rock sediments in there. That is marriage. Keeping the “I do” at the forefront of your relationships and continuing to pour love into each other even if there are pebbles along the way.

Remember to love those days, these days, and all the days because seasons of setbacks can often lead to seasons of soaring.

I’m going to leave you with something. In writing and relationships, you’re going to have to:

Just like marriage vows, writers need a vow too. Make a copy of this and post it on a wall in front of your work space. Let it be a reminder to commit in your writing endeavor.

I_________(your name) take thee pen and paper (or, keyboard and computer) to use as my imagination tools for writing each and every day. I promise to trust the process and persevere no matter what.

Until next time…

References

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/expectation

https://bestlifeonline.com/average-marriage-age-united-states/

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a19567270/average-age-of-marriage/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reasons-not-to-get-married_n_5274911

https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-some-people-get-married-or-decide-never-to-marry

https://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/

https://www.divorcemag.com/articles/us-divorce-statistics-and-divorce-rate-2000-2017/

https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-the-first-draft-of-any-novel-is-always-shit-and-bad

https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/fruitless-first-draft-struggles

https://lithub.com/7-methods-for-writing-your-first-draft/

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/perfect-first-draft/

https://medium.com/startup-grind/why-you-should-not-write-a-book-c34d260d4550

https://wordskies.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/everyone-wants-to-write-a-book/

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/28/opinion/think-you-have-a-book-in-you-think-again.html

The Fascination with Curious George

April 3, 2019 /

Curiosity is the very basis of education and if you tell me that curiosity killed the cat, I say only the cat died nobly.

~~Arnold Edinborough

Yesterday, I watched Curious George’s “Swing into Spring” TV special with my eight-year-old daughter. We’ve seen the special plenty of times before, and always found it hilarious.

If you don’t know about the show, here’s a quick synopsis: The Man with the Yellow Hat is sure that George has spring fever, and so he takes him to the park to experience all the wonders of spring. George is so excited about spring that he wants his dog friend Hundley, to have spring fever too, but Hundley and the Doorman are busy trying to win the Mayor’s spring cleaning prize. When a broken water pipe floods the building, Hundley has to stay with George in the country, and he tries to make sure Hundley enjoys spring.

As we giggled at George’s silliness, I got to thinking about this little monkey and why I liked him so much. He’s very cute, but the Curious George shows are about a mischievous monkey on sordid adventures and comical mishaps that The Man with the Yellow Hat has to rescue him from or fix the situation—all the time. If that was my monkey, boy, oh boy, he would be in trouble and put in a very long time out.

What’s unusual is that a human has a monkey for a pet. Sure, people have had alligators, pigs, and dangerous snakes as pets, so what if a cartoon character is raising a monkey? At this I say, build him/her a zoo and keep those animals in their own habitats. The Man with the Yellow Hat lives in a New York City apartment of all places, and a country home near a lake called Lake Wanasinklake, but he still has living quarters meant for man, not animal.

Okay, I’m getting too literal. I must remember that we are talking about a cartoon.

Watching many of the Curious George’s shows I found that the spirited monkey has many interesting and entertaining ventures. He is constantly befriending strangers, is able to communicate with people who don’t speak English, talks to a dog named Hundley, who is a “dog doorman,” has a cool best friend named Bill, who teaches him about fishing and ghost stories, chases a squirrel named Jumpy Squirrel, and little George is so smart that he can hang with the professors at the museum where The Man with the Yellow Hat works.

Up until ten years ago, I never watched one episode or read any of the books by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey. I had no reason to. However, thankfully that changed, and in the last decade I’ve binged on so many of the Curious George television shows, admiring the unfettered monkey and all his crazy escapades. I’ll admit there is something beautiful in seeing the vulnerability and inquisitiveness of a character whose joy comes from discovering new things.

Yes, we all know little George got himself in lots of trouble. How about when he flooded the country home with water, or changed up the soup ingredients because he couldn’t find the vegetables The Man with the Yellow Hat had written down for him, or when George went up in a rocket and becomes the world’s first monkey to go into space. In those episodes and others, his pet owner always accepted George’s curiosity without being harsh or mean-spirited.

And, speaking of The Man with the Yellow Hat, how many of you know his name? He has remained nameless, only recognizable by his BIG YELLOW HAT. I did some research and discovered his name was actually Ted Shackleford. I liked him too, his unruffled demeanor, and his ability to explain things in an understanding way.

Having considered all this, my interest was piqued on the authors of Curious George—a husband and wife team named H.A. Rey and Margret Rey.

It turns out the couple were German-born Jews who fled Paris, France just before Germany took over the country in 1940. With two home-made bicycles, a few belongings, and a manuscript about an inquisitive monkey, they escaped to Lisbon, Portugal where they got on a ship, and eventually crossed over to the United States.

Did you know that the monkey’s original name was Fifi? The first book written by the Reys was titled: “Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys” and it was published in France in 1939. In 1941, when the Reys went to publish their book through Houghton Mifflin on a story about a monkey…the publisher thought “Fifi” was an odd name for a male monkey, later changing it to Curious George.

Did you also know that Mr. and Mrs. Rey’s first American published book was simply titled: “Curious George,” a story about a man (The Man with the Yellow Hat) who traveled to Africa to capture a monkey and bring him to a zoo in New York City? PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) would be all over this story if this happened in real life.

If this hasn’t gotten you curious yet, how about this…Watching the Curious George TV shows and reading the books help children ages 4-7 increase their math and science skills? Read more about it here.

Seven original Curious George titles were written by the Reys, plus the “Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys” book.  See the list here. Their books have sold over 25 million copies worldwide.

In the early 1980s the books were turned into a television series so a wider audience could enjoy them. A new Curious George series debuted on September 4th 2006 on PBS Kids as part of the PBS Kids Preschool Block. Although Curious George ended its original run on April 1st., 2015, the series still airs on PBS Kids through reruns.

With the exception of the “Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys” book, I’ve read all seven of the tales and don’t have any favorites because I truly love them all. Click here for the list of books.

However, I do have many favorite TV episodes. Check them out below:

A Halloween Boo Fest

A Very Monkey Christmas

No Knowing Gnocchi with Chef Pisghetti

Auctioneer George

Curious George Sounds Off

School of Dance

Windmill Monkey

Meet the New Neighbors

Well done, George

Something New Under the Sun

The Perfect Carrot

Old McGeorgie had a Farm

The Magic Garden

Up, Up, and Away

For a complete list of all the TV episodes, click here.

I’ll never grow old watching the Curious George shows. I think it is safe to say that my daughter will agree. We bond, laugh at George’s pranks, and relax for family time. I think the two biggest takeaways/ lessons from Curious George are never to rush and judge, and to always forgive—important traits we need to work on in today’s world.

To read more about the Mr. and Mrs. Rey, check out this treasure: “The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey”

Until next time…Be curious.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curious_George#”Original_Adventures”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curious_George_(book)

http://www.curiousgeorge.com/

https://www.kidsbookseries.com/curious-george-original-adventures/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Curious_George_episodes

http://www.tv.com/shows/curious-george/

https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/curious-george-learns-about-brand-recognition

https://www.kelseymedeiros.com/braking-down/the-curious-case-of-curious-george

https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/10rzyr/a_unifying_theory_of_curious_george_with_an/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm09dAsynAs

https://therealworldwilmington.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/the-awful-truth-about-curious-george/

http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/02/story-curious-georges-great-escape-nazis/

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/13/books/how-curious-george-escaped-the-nazis.html

Everything I Needed to Learn About Authors; I Learned at Author Events

October 18, 2017 /

Is it me, or are authors only consumed with themselves?

Whoa…you say. That’s a loaded question coming from an author yourself.

Yes, it is.

You see, I’ve been to many libraries and bookstore sponsored author events where I’ve observed authors in action.

They are sitting behind a lovely display of books waiting for the readers to approach them, or, standing alone outside a circle of writers who are discussing plot points or point of views.

The ones behind the tables really deserve the “Trophy of Anti-Social” but still have the “buy my books attitudes” because I am snob and my stories are the best, even though I don’t care to ask you about your reading preferences, or even bother to make eye-contact.

Well, that’s a mouthful.

Here, let me elaborate and provide you a visual: Authors sitting on their pompous ass, sipping free coffee and eating store-bought muffins and bagels—which should be for the customer, but they feel obligated to have anyway, while scrolling on their Smartphones, reading a book not related to their own, and here’s the best, sewing, as if they should be finishing up on chores that could have been done at HOME!

Good grief.

To top it off, they rarely socialize with other authors who are at the tables right next to them. Folks, author events are there not only to sell your books, but meet other authors and network.

Here is something to ponder on. Do you think your books are better than anyone else’s? Are you so close-minded that exploring other writers and the types of writing they do is beneath you?

To me and this is only my opinion, I say…Shame on You. How do you know that the writer across from you can recommend an illustrator for your next book that you’ve been struggling to find for the last three months? Maybe the guy with the green hair and the rocket display becomes your greatest fan and at a later time has an opportunity and he invites you to his daughter’s sixteenth birthday party because now you have acquired a huge following for your YA book.

Seriously?

Yes, and there’s more. Let’s not forget the “hard sell” piece.  A few months ago, I was at an author library event. Walking up to a table in which the man had a display of what looked like crime/cop type of novels, I stopped and perused one of his books, even complimenting him on the cover. When I asked him how he was doing, he boldly replied… “Better, if you bought one of my books.”

What could I say to that?

Here’s a spoiler alert. There is no guarantee that every single person who walks into a bookstore event or library event will buy a book, even yours. Book tastes are very subjective. Just like when you buy shoes. What I choose and what you choose will be different based on comfort and style. Your job is to court the perspective reader. Ask him/her what they like to read, not use the strong-arm tactic.

The same goes for author to author relationship. Learn about each other’s work, you might come away with valuable information for your own writing. The other thing is, if you don’t want to buy their book, support them in different ways: Tweet their book info, do a blog interview, or recommend their book to someone who might read that particular genre. Sometimes, authors do a book swap. That’s cool too. But, don’t expect each and every author or potential customer to buy your particular book.

That’s harsh.

Duly noted, but this is not a flea market. Honestly, I’d rather have someone buy my book who I know will read it, enjoy it, and maybe if they are so inclined, leave a review.

Bottom line. Author events should not be your two-hour relaxation time away from home or family. Get up and talk to people. Make it a point to connect with five new authors at each event.

This holds true for those writers who are afraid to socialize and are hiding behind their display, or leaning against the bookcase, trying to look inconspicuous. It’s hard, the social aspect of these type of events. I honestly get it.  You see, my mind is always conjuring up make-believe characters. I’d rather spend an afternoon behind a computer writing about them, then chatting with real people.

Remember this; cross-networking can lead to many opportunities:

  1. Getting out of your shell and not focusing on “me-me”.
  2. Insight and learning.

Most authors have full-time jobs, you never know if that person is an attorney, plumber, band singer, or real estate agent that you could use in the future. It’s called using your resources.

Snicker.

Yes, your books are your babies, but opportunities can abound when you get your head out of fiction and into the real world.

Smile.

Now, get out there.

#authorrant #writing #authorobservations #locallibraryevents #bookstoreauthorevents #bookselling #connectingwithauthors

Thursday’s Thought Provoker: Writing Scenes and the Common Seasonal Cold

November 5, 2015 /

sweet tea_sick

People often ask me if it’s difficult or easy to write scenes in a novel. I tell them it depends on the scene and what I want to accomplish to move the story along.

Some scenes can be summed up like this:

The character’s demeanor clearly pops in my mind, the dialogue is impactful, and the description is vivid. It is a euphoric sensation and I’m writing it all down by hand in a $.99 cent notebook as fast as I can. Yes, I write everything on paper first and then type it. Call me old-fashioned or just plain weird, but I have to see and feel the scribble of the pen beneath my left-hand fingertips. All of it, and every time. It is only then that it becomes real to me.

Everything is flowing, flawlessly and effortlessly, and then, BAAM…I’m there, on a patio, sitting on a beige wicker chair, arms resting on a frosted-glass round table facing a vast blue-green ocean. Listening and watching as the waves are coming up on the sand, sipping a tall sweet tea with a large lemon wedge, and eating a turkey and cheese rye sandwich with sprouts and a generous amount of Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard. Wait? What? Grey Poupon? Really? Yes. See what I mean?

And then other scenes can be summed up this way:

All your ideas are squished up in your brain itching to come out—nervously shaking the fence that they have been trapped in. Pounding and pounding on the chain-link like a migraine headache because they have been engulfed in a veil of fog way too long.

I can visualize the scene but it is so blurry that my eyes are burning. And the more I’m trying to write, the more the whites of my eye balls are getting redder. I’m hyperventilating and perspiring, cursing myself to push out the jumble consuming my thoughts, but I can’t. My ears are piercing like a constant freight train rumbling through, jarring and jilting my ear drums. I can’t breathe, my airways are blocked, and any dialogue or description I’m feverishly trying to put down into words is constricting my throat and rapidly I’m painfully swallowing the ideas away. They are disappearing, oh no, rolling down the esophagus with my saliva.

It’s not working. I need to step away from the notebook, or just surf Facebook for a bit. Until then, I’m blocked. Blocked like the fever, sinus infection, swimmer’s ear, and sore throat which I currently have. Ugh…the sick season has arrived. Is it November already? Of course it is.

For me there are only two kinds of scene writing and it is described above. Until then, I’m out of commission. I am crawling back under the covers for some recover. Be back soon.

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