"Words have meaning and names have power." Unknown
Unless we choose a stage name or pseudonym, or legally change our names, we're stuck with the monikers given to us by our parents for life. Some parents put a lot of time and consideration into this by scouring baby name books.
While some future moms and dads want a name that's pleasing to the ear, others may choose one for its strong symbolic meaning, as well, for example, Gerald: mighty with the spear. A name chosen for a baby could be one passed from generation to generation, or perhaps taken from the Bible. Historical heroes and heroines can be popular name choices, too.
But not everyone puts that much thought into the naming process. A friend of mine from college said that when she was born, her father asked two nurses what their names were. One was Karen, the other Sue. So my friend was named Karen Sue! That was easy.
Lots of name choices are influenced by popular culture. During the Depression, many little girls were named Shirley, after child movie star Shirley Temple. I know someone who was spared that fate when her father insisted she be named Carmen! She's ever thankful for his intervention and loves the more exotic and mysterious name chosen for her instead.
The girl name Madison was inspired by the 1984 movie Splash. Nowadays, Isabella is one of the most popular girl names because of the books and films in the Twilight series. I read an article not long ago about popular baby names inspired by films and found myself sneering. "It's amazing how many parents name their kids after characters in movies," I thought condescendingly. But then I had to scold myself.
Ever heard of West Side Story? My mom was pregnant with me when she saw it. My name would've been Carol, but after hearing the song "Maria," you can figure out the rest of the story. I, along with probably hundreds of thousands of other little girls in the U.S. (of non-Hispanic origin), was named Maria, back in...well, it was a long time ago.
Although a name is a serious thing, once in a while, you hear some that sound as though they were chosen on a whim. Several years ago, my husband overheard a conversation in the grocery store between two women. One was quite excited because she'd found the perfect name for her soon to be born daughter. "Formica Dinette!" She exclaimed happily to her friend. "I saw it in the Sears Catalog!" For the child's sake, I hope someone talked her out of that!
What's the story behind your name?
Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Humor: Don't Force the Issue
"When I say humor is a great addition to most any piece, I mean humor that's actually, well...funny." Robert Masello from Robert's Rules of Writing (Rule 78. Make 'Em Laugh)
Humor is a good way to lighten the mood of a narrative during scenes filled with darkness and intensity, and a nice dose of it is a great addition to any story. As Masello says, "...it's the leavening agent that can lighten up even the heaviest material." But not everyone is born with a sense of humor. So, if humor lacks from the individual, it shouldn't be forced into print. Whatever is trying to be written as funny by the humorless writer, might come off as sounding stiff and unnatural to the reading, or viewing audience.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was hired as one of many writers to transform Gone With the Wind into a screenplay. What I just learned recently, from the GWTW But Not Forgotten Facebook Page, was that he was let go because he couldn't make Aunt Pittypat sound funny! Who can ever forget Aunt Pittypat riding off during the explosions, as the Yankees are approaching to attack Atlanta? Flabbergasted and flustered she yells, "Uncle Peter, my smelling salts..."
Some people are naturally funny. Those that are tend to be laid back and don't take themselves too seriously. They can see the humor even in serious situations, and are usually optimistic.
But it takes more than funny people to make the world go around. Those who aren't funny sometimes tend to be more serious, tense, critical and pessimistic. If you've ever said to someone (or someone has said to you), "You have no sense of humor," and you've gotten a reaction like this (or you've reacted this way, after angrily slamming down a fist), "I DO SO have a sense of humor,"chances are, that person (or you) may very well not. But that's okay, not everyone is born with the humor gene.
Now, if you're a funny person and a writer, and you have a humorless friend who's a writer, too, let him know you'd be happy to help infuse a little humor into his narrative, if he's at all interested. Even if he claims there's plenty of funny stuff he's already written, offer to read it and see if it sounds funny to you. If someone has to stretch and strain to be funny, and what's written is beyond their "comfort zone," that can be some pretty painful reading.
Do you or don't you have a sense of humor?
Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
Humor is a good way to lighten the mood of a narrative during scenes filled with darkness and intensity, and a nice dose of it is a great addition to any story. As Masello says, "...it's the leavening agent that can lighten up even the heaviest material." But not everyone is born with a sense of humor. So, if humor lacks from the individual, it shouldn't be forced into print. Whatever is trying to be written as funny by the humorless writer, might come off as sounding stiff and unnatural to the reading, or viewing audience.
F. Scott Fitzgerald was hired as one of many writers to transform Gone With the Wind into a screenplay. What I just learned recently, from the GWTW But Not Forgotten Facebook Page, was that he was let go because he couldn't make Aunt Pittypat sound funny! Who can ever forget Aunt Pittypat riding off during the explosions, as the Yankees are approaching to attack Atlanta? Flabbergasted and flustered she yells, "Uncle Peter, my smelling salts..."
Some people are naturally funny. Those that are tend to be laid back and don't take themselves too seriously. They can see the humor even in serious situations, and are usually optimistic.
But it takes more than funny people to make the world go around. Those who aren't funny sometimes tend to be more serious, tense, critical and pessimistic. If you've ever said to someone (or someone has said to you), "You have no sense of humor," and you've gotten a reaction like this (or you've reacted this way, after angrily slamming down a fist), "I DO SO have a sense of humor,"chances are, that person (or you) may very well not. But that's okay, not everyone is born with the humor gene.
Now, if you're a funny person and a writer, and you have a humorless friend who's a writer, too, let him know you'd be happy to help infuse a little humor into his narrative, if he's at all interested. Even if he claims there's plenty of funny stuff he's already written, offer to read it and see if it sounds funny to you. If someone has to stretch and strain to be funny, and what's written is beyond their "comfort zone," that can be some pretty painful reading.
Do you or don't you have a sense of humor?
Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Black Beans: Good for Your Heart
"You can cut your risk of heart attack by nearly 40% if you eat a three-ounce serving of black beans daily." Reader's Digest
That's enough motivation for me to eat black beans at least once a week! I have lots of black bean recipes, but the best I've ever tasted were at a Cuban restaurant inside the Miami airport.
None of my recipes tasted quite like those, so I kept tinkering until I created something close. These are great as a main dish over rice, or just as a side.
Enjoy this simple and nutritious recipe!
Easy Black Beans
4 14 ounce cans black beans
4 t garlic powder
2 onions, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 t cayenne pepper
2 t chili powder
2 1/2 t cumin
2 1/2 t coriander
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
juice of two limes
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After one hour, turn heat to lowest setting and simmer one hour more. Serve over rice, top with fresh tomatoes and hard boiled eggs, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Do you have a favorite black bean recipe?
Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
That's enough motivation for me to eat black beans at least once a week! I have lots of black bean recipes, but the best I've ever tasted were at a Cuban restaurant inside the Miami airport.
None of my recipes tasted quite like those, so I kept tinkering until I created something close. These are great as a main dish over rice, or just as a side.
Enjoy this simple and nutritious recipe!
Easy Black Beans
4 14 ounce cans black beans
4 t garlic powder
2 onions, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 t cayenne pepper
2 t chili powder
2 1/2 t cumin
2 1/2 t coriander
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
juice of two limes
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After one hour, turn heat to lowest setting and simmer one hour more. Serve over rice, top with fresh tomatoes and hard boiled eggs, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Do you have a favorite black bean recipe?
Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Early Bird or Night Owl: When is Your Best Time to Write?
"Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself." Franz Kafka
When do you find that time for utter solitude so you can--enjoy the escape into the creativity of your imagination? (That sounds a little more positive than "the cold abyss of oneself.")
I'm not a night owl, but I wish I were! After 11:00 pm the phone is guaranteed not to ring (unless there's a family emergency or a wrong number from some night owl you don't know). Since the kids and the husband don't need anything at that time, you' re home free to write. There's an occasional occurrence of middle of the night vomiting from one of the kids, but that's usually not more than once a year, if at all.
I'm an early bird by nature. On school days I'm up at 4:30, but my morning hours are taken up by other things. By 9:00, I've worked out, gone running, fixed breakfast, lunches, taken the kids to school, and started prepping dinner. By 10:00, I try to start writing, but on those days when hubby works on something from home, the four hours I have from 10:00 to 2:00 shrink down to about one, as far as writing goes.
Common Husband Interruptions:
"NEVER, at this rate!" is what I'd like to respond to that last query. But instead I say, "As long as I have some uninterrupted peace and quiet, it'll be sooner, rather than later."
By 2:00 it's time to get the kids, then homework, dinner, kitchen cleanup, and by 7:00, I'm dragging. By 9:00 or 9:30, I'm usually in bed so I can get up and do it all over again.
If I just didn't have to sleep, I could write so much more!
What about you? When is your most productive writing time?
Tweet me @maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
When do you find that time for utter solitude so you can--enjoy the escape into the creativity of your imagination? (That sounds a little more positive than "the cold abyss of oneself.")
I'm not a night owl, but I wish I were! After 11:00 pm the phone is guaranteed not to ring (unless there's a family emergency or a wrong number from some night owl you don't know). Since the kids and the husband don't need anything at that time, you' re home free to write. There's an occasional occurrence of middle of the night vomiting from one of the kids, but that's usually not more than once a year, if at all.
I'm an early bird by nature. On school days I'm up at 4:30, but my morning hours are taken up by other things. By 9:00, I've worked out, gone running, fixed breakfast, lunches, taken the kids to school, and started prepping dinner. By 10:00, I try to start writing, but on those days when hubby works on something from home, the four hours I have from 10:00 to 2:00 shrink down to about one, as far as writing goes.
Common Husband Interruptions:
- "I've got something that needs to go to the post office." Translation: "I need you to take this to the post office."
- "This is a deposit." Translation: "I need you to go to the bank and deposit this."
- "Is there anything I can eat?" Translation: "Would you fix me lunch?"
- "Mind if I sit with you?" I usually work at the kitchen table. He'll ask this when he eats lunch, but it actually translates to: "I know you're busy writing, but I'd really like to talk to you."
- "So when is your book going to be done?" Translation: "When will your writing earn some money?"
"NEVER, at this rate!" is what I'd like to respond to that last query. But instead I say, "As long as I have some uninterrupted peace and quiet, it'll be sooner, rather than later."
By 2:00 it's time to get the kids, then homework, dinner, kitchen cleanup, and by 7:00, I'm dragging. By 9:00 or 9:30, I'm usually in bed so I can get up and do it all over again.
If I just didn't have to sleep, I could write so much more!
What about you? When is your most productive writing time?
Tweet me @maria_mckenzie. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Making an Exit: Know When to End a Scene
"Why does it take a minute to say hello, and forever to say goodbye?" Unknown
I'm doing some revisions on a novel I wrote many years ago, before I really knew what I was doing. Now that I've worked with a wonderful writing teacher, read several books on the writing craft, attended lots of great workshops through OVRWA (http://www.ovrwa.com/), and belong to a critique group, I'm crining quite a bit as I read my rambling prose!
An important element I've learned is not to wear out your welcome. When you've provided all the information necessary to move along the story--end the scene! No need for superfluous conversation or action. Whatever else is said or done, will only weaken what came prior to that point. Pushing the narrative forward will keep the reader turning pages.
What's more effective? You be the judge:
Tom looked at the dead body, and then the blood on his hands. "What have I done?" he said quietly. After a few seconds, he picked up the phone and called the police.
"911, emergency."
Tom hesitated briefly. "I--I just killed someone."
Tom looked at the dead body, and then the blood on his hands. "What have I done?" he said quietly. He picked up the phone and called the police.
"911, emergency."
Tom hesitated briefly. "I--I just killed someone."
After reporting the crime, he walked slowly to the bathroom. It took a long time to clean off all the blood. Then he strode back to the living room, sat down and waited, glancing at his watch wondering how long it would take for the cops to arrive.
All we need to know is that Tom killed someone and then called the police. Unless something significant happens while Tom's in the bathroom--like him saying, "I don't remember doing this! I just woke up and found myself with bloody hands and a dead body on the floor!"--no one cares that he washed his hands, then sat down and waited, wondering zzzzz.....
Hope this has been a helpful tip. Are there any scenes that you can trim today by making an earlier exit?
Thanks for stopping by! Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie.
I'm doing some revisions on a novel I wrote many years ago, before I really knew what I was doing. Now that I've worked with a wonderful writing teacher, read several books on the writing craft, attended lots of great workshops through OVRWA (http://www.ovrwa.com/), and belong to a critique group, I'm crining quite a bit as I read my rambling prose!
An important element I've learned is not to wear out your welcome. When you've provided all the information necessary to move along the story--end the scene! No need for superfluous conversation or action. Whatever else is said or done, will only weaken what came prior to that point. Pushing the narrative forward will keep the reader turning pages.
What's more effective? You be the judge:
Tom looked at the dead body, and then the blood on his hands. "What have I done?" he said quietly. After a few seconds, he picked up the phone and called the police.
"911, emergency."
Tom hesitated briefly. "I--I just killed someone."
Tom looked at the dead body, and then the blood on his hands. "What have I done?" he said quietly. He picked up the phone and called the police.
"911, emergency."
Tom hesitated briefly. "I--I just killed someone."
After reporting the crime, he walked slowly to the bathroom. It took a long time to clean off all the blood. Then he strode back to the living room, sat down and waited, glancing at his watch wondering how long it would take for the cops to arrive.
All we need to know is that Tom killed someone and then called the police. Unless something significant happens while Tom's in the bathroom--like him saying, "I don't remember doing this! I just woke up and found myself with bloody hands and a dead body on the floor!"--no one cares that he washed his hands, then sat down and waited, wondering zzzzz.....
Hope this has been a helpful tip. Are there any scenes that you can trim today by making an earlier exit?
Thanks for stopping by! Tweet me @: maria_mckenzie.
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