Senator McCain's Legacy

As a country, we are remembering the legacy that Senator John McCain leaves behind. Why on earth am I writing about this on a writer's blog? Because it is my belief that the people and issues in our environment, and our perception of them, act as the foundation for the people and issues in our stories.

John McCain left behind a stellar legacy - he served his country  as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, was a POW for over five years, refused early release from prison because he was an Admiral's son, then became a Republican Senator. He was known for truly caring about people and issues, and had a sense of integrity about himself and his work. He asked for respect for himself, and he asked for respect for his opponents. He believed that differences should be resolved peacefully.

He was a moving force within the Republican party, and tried to bring balance to all issues. In doing so, many accused him of being a traitor to his party. My thought here is that he was/is bigger than any party.

In the end, we have Trump disrespecting him by not leaving the flag at half-staff until he was buried (this has ben rectified, after severe backlash), and former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush being asked to give eulogies at his funeral. Trump himslef was banned from the funeral - an act that took both courage and conviction. 

McCain was not perfect - none of us are. As a Democrat, I can still highly respect him, and honor both his service and his integrity. He was a voice against torture, having been tortured as a prisoner himself. The subject came up after 9/11, and his decision was a compromise. Not his highest moment. (He spoke out against water torturing and other forms of torture that had been used during the George W. Bush administration, but in the ensuing legislative battle, he followed party lines.) On the other hand, his vote helped save the Affordable Health Care act twice. 

This man, and these times, help shape my writing. As does my own time in the service, the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency, his assassination, the end of an era with the death of Ted Kennedy, the election of Bill Clinton to office, the election of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton's run for presidency, and more. We are shaped by our times as much as we shape our times.

(c) August 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

  

OMG - Am I In The Right Genre?

I am definitely focused on writing in the mystery genre. I have even fine tuned that to the cozy mystery genre. No cursing, no explicit sex scenes, no blood and guts. Just a gentle story. Gentle, but interesting. My protagonist has decided that her back story is that she worked for a clandestine organization for her entire life - recruited right out of college. She is not a spy, she simply works to keep the art and writings of the world out of sinister hands.

That part of her backstory, while edgy, is still acceptable for the cozy mystery genre. So, let's talk about how she does this. She is skilled in divination and dream work, has the ability to read photo's, can access people's thoughts from a distance, and can move backward and forward in time. I am sure there are people that think this book should be in another category. So ... what do I do about that?

Because I am self-published, I don't really have to do anything. I chose the genre for my book, and it will be cozy mystery. I also know that each book in the series for this protagonist will bring in different elements re her abilities. They will always be portrayed in a quiet, gentle manner. So why am I worried? 

I am worried because I want this series to be successful. Do I plan on changing anything to "fit" the genre bettter? No. I would rather redefine the genre! My protagonist is stepping out as who she is, not who someone else thinks she should be.  She needs to be authentic to herself, without carrying the "New Age" banner. It will be surprising to some just how far our five senses can carry us! Let the games begin!

(c) August 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission fromthe author.

  

To Blog, Or Not To Blog

As writers, we are encouraged to blog. It keeps our name out there. It draws a reader audience to us, and keeps them interested in our work, and gives us a venue for promoting our work. Sounds good, eh! We get all of those benefits - how nice! So, why is it that on occasion I just don't feel like blogging, but I blog anyway? 

The major reason that I blog when I don't really want to is that I believe there are benefits to a writer blogging, and I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the year to blog once a week as a writer, and to do a flash fiction blog once a week. So far, so good. (I may even take the suggestion that friends have made and put my flash fiction into an e-book. I am not sure how that will go, because I wouldn't be using graphics in my book, as I do in my blog. I try to find copyright free graphics, but if even just one falls through the cracks, that could be a lawsuit in the making.) 

If we pay attention to what we are putting up as content on our blogs, and if we maintain high quality, it is possible to use that content in multiple venues. That is always good. We could even choose to make an e-book out of select blogs, and perhaps either sell it, or use it as a freebie in one or more promotions.

Aside from the obvious point of creating consistently good quality content, we want our content to appeal to the audience that we wish to connect with. For me that would be mystery lovers in general, and cozy mystery lovers in particular. 

Blogs that are focused on targeted readership, with specific content, will do well. It is best, IMHO, to not blog until you know who your readers are, how you want to present yourself, and what you want to focus your content on. I know who I want as readers, I know how I want to present myself, but I can wander around with the content. I had the (not so) bright idea of doing blogs along the same theme each month. That ended up looking much too contrived, so I set that thought aside. Until further notice ... you can all wander with me content wise!

(c) August 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Do I Get To Write What I Want To Write?

Can I write what I want to write? Will it sell? Do I need to check the market to see what is selling, and try to fit my writing into that? I am not a trendy person, so for me to be writing based on what is the latest trend does not make sense. It would be very forced on my part, it would not make me happy, and more than likely be seen as mediocre work, and would not sell well. Perhaps if I was writing non-fiction, this might work. But I write in the fiction genre, and my creative self has to be engaged for me to write anything. 

What we all have to realize is that there are no rules when it comes to writing. Well, okay, there are a few rules, but chosing a topic to write about is wide open. We need to want to write about whatever we are writing about. If we are attemting to write what we think will sell, there may not be that creative spark, that creative sense of adventure that we need to make our work stand out.

Write about what interests you. Write about what you want to know about. Don't let your fears stand in your way. Write about what excites you, with minimal thought as to whether it will sell. Your excitement will come through, and you will sell! 

Sit down, start writing, and be willing to face your fears. Keep writing - allow your writing to flow. You can edit later. You can discard, add new elements ... you can do whatever you want to do. This is your writing, your story, and it needs to be told your way! Write a promotional blurb about what your book is about. Use that blurb to write an outline. Expand the outline as you write. You will end up with a solid story that will hold your readers attention!

(c) August 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission fromthe author.