Tag Archives: #WritingCommunity

We Become the Stories We Tell Ourselves

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The idea for this post began with a quote attributed to Michael Cunningham in A Home at the End of the World…

“We become the stories we tell ourselves”

This is especially true of writers. If you tell yourself, “I’ll never find an agent” or “My writing isn’t good enough to score a publishing contract,” chances are you won’t. Why? Because you’ve adopted a negative mindset.

Same principal applies to, “I can only write on weekends.” If you tell yourself you can only write on weekends, you’re already making decisions about your ability to write Monday through Friday, so if you slip behind the keyboard on a weekday, it’ll be more difficult to write. You’ve handicapped your creativity with a fixed (negative) mindset.

We’ve discussed fixed vs. growth mindsets before. I want to revisit the Mental Game of Writing *shameless plug for JSB* from a different angle, because it’s not discussed enough in writers’ circles.

RAY EDWARD’S THOUGHT EXPERIMENT 

Imagine you’ve been given a treasure. This treasure, like all magical treasures, comes with conditions. While it’s an unlimited treasure, each day you can only take one gold coin. Just one. And every day you suffer from amnesia. When you forget you have this treasure, you lose a day of unlimited value.

How will you remind yourself to take the coin? Leave a note? Set an alarm? Phone a friend and ask them to remind you? How will you remember not to waste a single coin?

You already own this treasure. It’s called life. Consider this your reminder. Each new day offers endless possibilities, in life as well as writing. What will you do with your coin today? Will you squander it by scrolling through social media for hours? Or will you cash it in for its full value?

Look. We’re all guilty of procrastination from time to time. The trick is to prioritize your writing.

Every morning, I watch the sunrise. Not only does it inspire me, it grounds me with a positive mindset for the day. If you roll over and slap the snooze button, dreading the day ahead, you’ll start the day with a negative mindset. Things tend to roll downhill from there.

Have you ever heard a writer complain about being a lousy writer? That’s a fixed mindset. Their mind is made up. They will never write well. Period.

A growth mindset is positivity based. If that same writer said, “I may not be the best writer today, but I will be” they’ve flipped the script. Because now, they know if they continue to show up, they will improve.

See the difference?

The writer with the growth mindset is moving forward. The writer with the fixed mindset would rather complain about writing than study, hone, and implement their craft.

Writers aren’t the only ones who fall prey to a fixed mindset. It’s easy to do.

Do these excuses sound familiar?

  • Too much to do today. I’ll write tomorrow.
  • Can’t write now. I just worked an eight-hour shift.
  • Too tired to write.
  • Not in the mood to write today.
  • I’m not inspired.
  • I have writer’s block.

Every excuse is steeped in negativity, yet this is common rhetoric in the writing community.

Let’s pull back the veil on each one.

TOO MUCH TO DO TODAY — I’LL WRITE TOMORROW

When life shakes the to-do list in your face, it’s easy to avoid the keyboard. The problem is, tomorrow never comes. If you are a professional writer, or striving to become one, then you must prioritize your writing.

Can you carve out thirty minutes in your busy schedule today? How about fifteen? How about five? No one’s too busy to write a paragraph.

CAN’T WRITE NOW — JUST WORKED AN EIGHT-HOUR SHIFT 

Writers all over the world work a full-time day job. Lee Child wrote his first novel during his commute to and from work. If you’re driving, can you dictate into your phone? Hands-free, please! I don’t want to cause any accidents.

Or write on your phone during your lunch break.

Or start supper fifteen minutes later than usual — after you’ve hit the keyboard.

Priorities, priorities, priorities. How bad do you want it? If writing full-time is your ultimate goal, you must continue to show up.

If you train yourself to write for fifteen minutes when you arrive home from work, the word count will continue to grow. An ever-increasing word count leads to confidence, excitement, and joy. There’s no downside. None. If all you have is fifteen minutes, you must protect that time. Tell your family and friends how much writing means to you. The house won’t burn down if you disappear for fifteen uninterrupted minutes, nor will your children starve.

Some days the words will flow. Other days they won’t. That’s okay. You still made progress. Don’t get caught up in evaluating your writing or hitting a certain word count right away, or you’ll backslide into a negative mindset. Celebrate the fact that you showed up.

TOO TIRED TO WRITE

With all the snow blowing I’ve done this winter, it’d be easy for me to use the “too tired” excuse. Battling Mother Nature does wear me out, but I also have multiple writing projects that need my attention. I take time to rest, enjoy a nice hot cup of tea, then hit the keyboard. If my hands hurt from squeezing the handles of my snowblower (a common problem), I may only squeak out 500 words that day — self-care is equally important — but at least it’s something.

NOT IN THE MOOD TO WRITE TODAY 

If we sit around waiting to get in the mood to write, the WIP will languish on the hard drive for months, even years.

“The only way out is through.”

—Robert Frost

Here’s where having a solid writing routine in place makes all the difference. For me, it’s sliding on the headphones. Once I crank the music, the world fades away, my focus narrows on the screen, and I’m transported into my story. It’s a form of self-hypnosis. When I hear that playlist, my creativity soars.

Find a routine that works for you and stick with it. You may be surprised by how quickly you can jump into the zone.

I’M NOT INSPIRED 

Seriously? I’ve never understood this excuse. What are you waiting for, a lightning rod to shoot from the sky? Lemme tell ya, watching cat videos on social media won’t inspire you, either. Stop wasting precious writing time. Slide on the headphones, or whatever works for you, and write something, anything, even if it’s only a paragraph.

If you don’t know what to write, review your writing from the day before. It’ll come to you. If you’re still stuck, go for a walk. Alone. And think about your story.

Planners may have a slight advantage over pantsers in this regard. If I know my next milestone in the story — first plot point, first pinch point, midpoint, etc., etc. — then I’m able to say, “Okay, the MCs need to wind up doing this or that. How do I get there from here?”

The answer may require research. Or the introduction of a new character. Or better yet, kill a character. Nothing kickstarts creativity faster than raising the stakes.

I HAVE WRITER’S BLOCK 

Pah-lease. Writer’s block is nothing more than a negative mindset with a title attached. You’ve convinced yourself you cannot write for whatever reason. Flip the script in your head, and the words will flow like Niagara.

Perhaps, you’re overwhelmed. It happens. Take a breath. You’re okay. Move on.

Or maybe, real life has given you more than your fair share lately. Or you’ve written yourself into a corner. Figure out what the root cause is, but please don’t call it writer’s block.

Burnout is something else entirely — been there, done that, got the scars to prove it — the subject of which has too many variables to discuss now. Want me to cover it next time?

Maintaining a positive mindset takes work and perseverance, but you can do it… if you want to.

Therein lies the rub.

How will spend your treasure today?

Why We Procrastinate and How To Stop

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Many believe those who procrastinate are lazy or unmotivated. It can be true of some, I suppose. Most, however, are caught in a torturous loop that stems from the brain. Once you fall prey to these endless cycles, it’s difficult to claw your way out.

A War Rages Inside the Brain

There are two culprits triggering procrastination.

The prefrontal cortex, responsible for:

  • Planning
  • Decision-Making
  • Abstract Concepts
  • Goals

And the limbic system, which regulates:

  • Pleasure
  • Fear
  • Reward
  • Arousal

Note how the prefrontal cortex’s job centers around self-control and the limbic system’s responsibilities are all emotional based.

When you have a task to complete, your prefrontal cortex sends a signal to your limbic system that says, “C’mon, it’s time to work.” Because your limbic system is like an unruly teen who seeks only pleasure and avoids pain or discomfort, it often returns a signal that says, “Let’s do something else that feels good right now.”

Procrastination is the war between the two, and we’re caught in the middle. Social media and other online activities have only worsened the problem, resulting in more and more procrastination. Devices like iPhones don’t help by trying to guilt you into increasing your screen time. Don’t fall for it. They do not have your best interests in mind.

Though procrastination may feel good in the moment — the limbic system tricking you into believing your actions are justified — that nagging task lingers in the prefrontal cortex, which leads to guilt, anxiety, and stress. Once you start procrastinating, it’s difficult to stop, because the limbic system rewards you with dopamine, the feel-good hormone.

Those stuck in this torturous loop know they should work on that project, but their mind is in turmoil. Add in real-life stressors, and procrastination worsens.

Yes, I speak from experience. After leaving my husband of twenty-seven years, starting a new life in a new area, moving again to another new area, where I bought my home, I had plenty of reasons to justify procrastination. Thankfully, I also took a year-long break from social media, which helped maintain my inner peace.

For those of us who didn’t grow up with the internet, the “noise” can be downright deafening at times. I also had to learn how to do “guy jobs.” Please don’t jump all over me for that comment. I know it’s sexist, but I never mowed a lawn or used a snow blower before. New England’s constant snowstorms and blizzards this year has forced me to use muscles I didn’t know I possessed. 🙂 There’s an art to snow blowing — it’s become another creative outlet for me, only with aches and pain afterward. LOL

The most important thing that saved me from endless procrastination was my longtime belief in mindfulness, the practice and awareness of living in the moment.

How To Cure Procrastination

Step #1: Realize what’s happening in your brain.

I solved that for you today, but feel free to study more about this war inside you. Fascinating research.

Step #2: Practice mindfulness.

An easy way to begin the practice of mindfulness is to walk outside. Stop. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, the benefits of which we’ve discussed before.

What do you hear? Birdsong? Pinpoint where without opening your eyes. Is there a pattern to his song, or is he communicating with another?

For weeks, I listened to this tiny wood thrush who nests on my covered porch. Amazing little birds that can easily sing over fifty unique songs and can even sing two different melodies at once. I thought he was singing just to sing, until I noticed him stop to listen. Sure enough, another wood thrush sang back.

My breath halted. Since males try to out-sing each other, this must be a singing competition.

I was so invested in rooting for my little porch buddy, nothing else mattered in those precious moments.

What do you smell? The sticky sap of a pine tree? Smoke from a campfire or woodstove? Pinpoint where without opening your eyes.

What do you feel? Focus your awareness on your skin. Is the wind cool against your cheek? Does the sun warm your scalp?

What do you sense? You most certainly are not alone. Wildlife surrounds you, even in the city. Stand in the moment and engage all your senses, except sight. By taking away the ability to see, you must rely on your other senses.

When you’re done, take three steps forward. Start over. There’s one catch — you cannot list anything you already mentioned. This will force you to dig deeper, concentrate harder, your awareness opening like rose petals. Repeat at least three or four times. With each step forward, you’re healing your mind, body, and spirit.

Mindfulness is an important life skill to master.

Besides being a cure for procrastination, mindfulness has many health benefits:

  • Reduces stress
  • Reduces anxiety
  • Fights depression
  • Improves focus and memory
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Boosts immunity
  • Improves sleep
  • Manages chronic pain and illness

Step #3: Work on the project you’ve been avoiding for five minutes. Your limbic system will reward you with a dopamine hit — good job! You did it! If you struggle to continue past five minutes, that’s fine. Stop there. Do this every day. Soon, you’ll be so invested in the project, five minutes will turn into fifteen, thirty, one hour, or more.

Though writers are not immune to procrastination — some say, we’re the poster children for it — it does help to have a regular writing routine. Walking into an office or sliding on headphones sends a silent signal to the brain that it’s time to work, but that doesn’t mean the limbic system won’t respond with, “Let’s play instead.”

The next time you find yourself scrolling on social media instead of completing a task, take a moment to ask yourself why. Are you procrastinating or do you need a break? If it’s the latter, enjoy. Mindless fun is important, too. If it’s the former, put down the phone and walk outside. Please don’t tell me it’s too cold. I’ve been out there in double negative degree temps and survived just fine. Bundle up. It’s worth the effort. What you’ll experience is the cure for what ails you.

If, for health or mobility issues, you are unable to go outside, use the body scan method to practice mindfulness. Lie Lay Recline in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Deep breathe for a few rounds. Then focus on your feet. Note how your heels touch the surface below them. Do your toes tingle? If you concentrate long enough, you’ll feel blood flowing through your feet.

Next, take note of your ankles. Little by little, work your way up your body. When you reach each organ, envision how it works inside your body. Once you reach your scalp, you may open your eyes.

The body scan method also works for insomnia.

What do you think about this war inside your brain? 

What Writers Can Learn from Hugh Hefner

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Regardless of your views on Playboy magazine or its brand, Hugh Hefner was a trailblazer, an inspirational creator who wasn’t afraid of shattering societal norms. Writers can learn a lot from him.

Hefner didn’t only compete with existing magazines like Esquire or GQ — he created a new market by combining intellectual, serious journalism with adult entertainment. He created the magazine he wanted to read.

Lesson: Rather than follow trends, bring your vision to life. Write the book you want to read.

Despite being known for nude photographs, Playboy was a major platform for literary giants like Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, and Margaret Atwood.  

Lesson: Quality writing attracts a loyal, discerning audience. It also elevates the book, series, and your entire portfolio of publications.

Hefner was the audience for his own magazine. As a “child of popular culture,” he lived his brand (the robe, the mansion, the Playboy bunnies and playmates), making his persona integral to his success.

Lesson: When the writer is the brand, it builds deep audience connection and loyalty.

Hefner leveraged Playboy to fight censorship, obscenity laws, segregation, and many other injustices. During the times of segregation, Hefner invited Aretha Franklin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ray Charles, Miles Davis, and Stevie Wonder to perform at his Playboy Club. One stipulation: Walk through the front door like everyone else. Most business owners made Black entertainers enter through the kitchen or back exit.

The mere mention of mixing races became such a controversy, the South threatened to ban Playboy from all newsstands if Hefner followed through with his plan. Nearly 80% of sales came from southern regions at that time, but the aforementioned entertainers were also Hefner’s close friends. Which put him in an impossible position.

Do you put profits above friendship? Most business owners did. As someone who opposed segregation and other injustices of the times, Hefner could not. So, he ignored the threat. Once he made the decision to stand up to “The Man,” he doubled down and invited all entertainers, regardless of skin color, to enjoy the club before and after their performances —  for the first time, Whites and Blacks socialized in public.

The South followed through with the ban, costing Hefner a hefty loss in revenue. Didn’t matter. He stood firm in his beliefs. Segregation was a barbaric act, and Hefner refused to fall in line.

This is just one example of a creator trusting in themselves enough to bet others felt the same.

Lesson: Stay true to your beliefs and values, even if they’re not the popular opinion. Please don’t misread that advice. I am not suggesting you should commit career suicide by screaming on social media about hot-button issues. Let readers learn who you are through the style, theme(s), voice, and tone of your books. No one needs or wants to be slammed over the head with your personal opinions.

Behind the partying playboy image, Hefner was a relentless workaholic who often slept at his office. Later, he moved his workspace into his bedroom, often working from his oversized circular, rotating bed.

Lesson: Success in competitive media requires dedication, a strong work ethic, and a never-say-die spirit.

Hefner often cited his restrictive, “Midwestern Puritan” upbringing as the catalyst for his liberating and revolutionary content. Though men enjoyed the visual stimulation, they also enjoyed the articles. Probably still do.

Lesson: Use your background and life experience — negative and positive — as fuel for your unique, compelling, emotion-infused writing.

Hugh Hefner scratched and crawled his way to the top.

He fought for free speech.

He fought for free choice.

He fought haters, religious groups, and feminists, who all vowed to take him down.

He fought the State of Illinois and the courts.

Hefner trusted his vision for a better, more inclusive and less sexually repressed tomorrow.

Through the years, he started multiple companies — all built around the Playboy brand.

Lesson: When people trust a brand, they’ll follow its creator anywhere if the new company or product delivers the same quality and standards. Readers fall in love with a writer’s voice and style. Stay true to your brand and you can write whatever you want, without the need for an alias. Step outside your brand, and you may encounter difficulties.

For example, a cozy mystery writer probably shouldn’t venture into smut and expect their audience to stick around. Some may stay. Most will not. Why? Because the writer veered too far off-brand.

Could a thriller author write narrative nonfiction or memoir? Absolutely. Could they sell a children’s series to their existing audience? Sure, if it aligns with their brand.

Allow me to use myself as the example. My environmental thrillers focus on wildlife conservation (Oh, how I love to kill poachers! 😉 ). The children’s book series I’m working on has the same focus, only geared toward young conservationists of the future — the children or grandchildren of my existing audience.

I’ve also written psychological thrillers/serial killer thrillers, mystery, and true crime. By the time I ventured into environmental thrillers (aka eco-thrillers), the new genre didn’t surprise my readers. No matter how grisly some of storylines are, my love of animals shines through my work. All the pets are fully fleshed characters that readers adore. The genre switch (in the middle of the series, no less) still delivers the type of books readers expect from me.

Staying true to audience expectations is also how Hefner expanded his brand worldwide.

Write the book you want to read.

Write the book that’ll resonate with your target audience.

Be genuine.

Dig deep into your well of emotional truth and touch lives.

Build, and keep building, a brand you’re proud of.

Be the Hugh Hefner of your generation.

Why Writers Write

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“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” ― Martin Luther

* * *

Every now and then we talk about why we feel compelled to write. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and it occurs to me that our motivation for writing may change as we grow in experience.

For example, the reason I decided to write my first novel wasn’t because I wanted to change the world or as some kind of personal catharsis. It was because I was listening to an audiobook while out running one day, and I thought I could write a mystery that was better than the one I was listening to. (A monumental act of hubris.)

When I returned home from my run, I got out my laptop and started typing. It was like being in a canoe, carried down the river by a current so strong, there was no use to fight it, even if I’d wanted to.

But as I got further into the story, I found there were things I wanted to say—about the world, society, myself—that changed my view of why I was doing this. By the time the book was published, I had arrived at a whole new perspective and a new “why” of writing.

* * *

So why do most writers write? Is there one overriding reason? Famous authors have offered their own opinions on this subject. As I read through some of their motivation for writing, I found themes of suffering, love, self-satisfaction, societal problems and more. Here are a few quotes:

“Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself…It’s a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of his divine discontent.” – Harper Lee

“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.” – George Orwell

“All that I hope to say in books, all that I ever hope to say, is that I love the world.” ― E.B. White

“I don’t know why I started writing. I don’t know why anybody does it. Maybe they’re bored, or failures at something else.” – Cormac McCarthy

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” – Flannery O’Connor

“I believe there is hope for us all, even amid the suffering – and maybe even inside the suffering. And that’s why I write fiction, probably. It’s my attempt to keep that fragile strand of radical hope, to build a fire in the darkness.” – John Green

“That’s why I write, because life never works except in retrospect. You can’t control life, at least you can control your version.” – Chuck Palahniuk

“I write for those that have no voice, for the silent ones who’ve been damaged beyond repair; I write for the broken child within me…”
― Nitya Prakash

“I write because I love writing. I think I became a writer in order to explore my ideas and responses to the world around me, which I often found it difficult to share with others. Also I liked my autonomy, and a writer can choose his or her own working hours – midnight to dawn or whenever.” – Alex Miller

* * *

But you don’t have to be famous to have a gripping reason to write a book. A few weeks ago, my husband and I hosted a local author event for the community we live in. I had asked each of the ten published authors to send me a statement about why they write. Take a look.

As a former ICU nurse and family caregiver, I want to bring God’s hope to anyone facing a health crisis. —Tracy Crump

“I love teaching and encouraging young children. What better way than through story telling! In my barnyard adventures, I teach values and character building in relatable situations. I love how it gives parents a way to spend time with their child while learning values.” —Becky Thomas

“My stories are tales of trials and victory against impossible odds, carrying the message of enduring hope—because fantasy teaches us that with courage and resilience, we can persevere through the most extraordinary things.” —Beth Alvarez

“I created a coloring book to help kids and kids-at-heart relax and take some quiet time to bring color into their lives. We should live life in every color!” —Annette Teepe

“I write because I want to reach out to young readers who may currently have no spiritual interests that they might discover the difference Jesus can make in their lives and consider following Him.” —Larry Fitzgerald

“I write for the Lord, Kay, Arthur, myself, decency, and to add a drop to the sea of literature.” —Frank DiBianca

“My five mystery novels are set primarily in the historic Memphis area during the post war 1940s. They include action, some gun play, humor and even a little romance now and then.” —Nick Nixon

“Countless books have been written about every Beatles song ever recorded, but I really wanted to read a book about all the hits they had as solo artists. Since that book didn’t exist, I decided to write it.” —Gary Fearon

“I write mysteries because they reflect what I believe—that truth is worth pursuing, and that critical thinking, perseverance, and faith will lead us there.” —Kay DiBianca

* * *

So TKZers:  Why do you write? And more specifically, why are you writing the current book you’re working on? Or any book in your backlist. Has your reason for writing changed over time?

 

Only a single star could reveal the truth buried beneath decades of lies. And only one woman had the courage to follow its light.

Click the image to go to the Amazon book detail page.

Inappropriate Character Flaw or Nervous Habit

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True confession time. I have a horrible nervous habit — reaction? — when someone falls. I’ve struggled with it my entire life, but try as I might, I can’t change my behavior. Believe me, I’ve tried.

What is this awful flaw?

Let me preface this by saying, I feel all the correct emotions, hoping the person who fell is not seriously hurt, didn’t break a bone, or worse. I’m deeply concerned about their wellbeing — I really am — but the uncontrollable laughter that wells from deep inside me counteracts any genuine feelings I try to convey. It’s terrible for the person who fell. It’s even worse for me, because it’s not an accurate portrayal for how I feel in the moment. But I can’t stop laughing.

How would you handle a character with a flaw like mine?

Readers would hate an MC who laughs when someone falls. It’s so inappropriate, many wouldn’t care how the character felt inside. Even my mother had a difficult time dealing with my nervous habit, especially since I’m a very even, calm, happy-go-lucky person. Not an overly serious one, though. Which may be part of the problem. If we don’t laugh, we cry, right? Perhaps it’s a survival instinct.

Hmm…

Or maybe, it’s because of my lighthearted nature that when something shocks me like a fall, it throws me into a mental tailspin. Uncontrollable belly-laughter is the result. The worst part? The more I love the person, the harder I laugh. For a long time, I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. Only a sadist would laugh at a time like this.

Since this happened again recently — thankfully, the loved one who fell has the same flaw — it drove me to find answers.

On Quora, someone asked the question, “Why can’t I control my laughter when someone falls?”

A psychology student responded:

“Laughter is a parasympathetic response which calms the nervous system down and often occurs in situations of relief (people engage in nervous laughter to try to calm themself down). The laughter can force you to engage in rapid diaphramatic breathing (belly laughing), which stimulates other parts of the parasympathic nervous system, creating a calming effect.”

Ah-ha! It’s an empathetic response. I felt somewhat better, but I needed more. So, I dug deeper and found an article in Scientific American entitled, Why Do We Laugh When Someone Falls?

William F. Fry, a psychiatrist and laughter researcher at Stanford University, explained:

EVERY HUMAN develops a sense of humor, and everyone’s taste is slightly different. But certain fundamental aspects of humor help explain why a misstep may elicit laughter.

The first requirement is the “play frame,” which puts a real-life event in a nonserious context and allows for an atypical psychological reaction. Play frames explain why most people will not find it comical if someone falls from a 10-story building and dies: in this instance, the falling person’s distress hinders the establishment of the nonserious context. But if a woman casually walking down the street trips and flails hopelessly as she stumbles to the ground, the play frame may be established, and an observer may find the event amusing.

Exactly! I would never laugh if someone fell from a 10-story building and died. Strangely, I also don’t laugh if animals or the elderly fall. My brain must deem that more serious. Everyone else is fair game. Including me, by the way. All it takes is one little smirk from an onlooker and I die laughing.

Another crucial characteristic is incongruity, which can be seen in the improbable or inconsistent relation between the “punch line” and the “body” of a joke or experience. Falls are incongruent in the normal course of life in that they are unexpected. So despite our innate empathetic reaction—you poor fellow!—our incongruity instinct may be more powerful. Provided that the fall event establishes a play frame, mirth will likely ensue.

And you thought I was a terrible person. Shame on you. 😉

Play frames and incongruity are psychological concepts; only recently has neurobiology caught up with them. In the early 1990s the discovery of mirror neurons led to a new way to understand the incongruity aspect of humor.

When we fall down, we thrash about as we reach out to catch ourselves. Neu­rons in our brain control these movements. But when we observe another person stumbling, some of our own neurons fire as if we were the person doing the flailing—these mirror neurons are duplicating the patterns of activity in the falling person’s brain.

My hypothesis regarding the relevance of this mechanism for humor behavior is that the observer’s brain is “tickled” by that neurological “ghost.” The observer experiences an unconscious stimulation from that ghost, reinforcing the incongruity perception.

Thank you, Doctor! Still, it’d be a tough flaw to give a character. The only way to handle it would be to show how awful the character felt about laughing. Even then, I don’t know if it’s enough.

What do you think? Is all inappropriate behavior a tough sell, or does it make the character more relatable?

For the brave souls among us, do you have a similar flaw? What is one thing you’d change about yourself if you could?

What’s New in the Public Domain in 2026

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Only one thing is impossible for God: To find any sense in any copyright law on the planet. —Mark Twain

* * *

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution grants the U.S. Congress the power “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries”

Congress has used that power to define the “limited time” for authors’ works to be placed in the public domain. According to Google AI

Current U.S. law generally puts works into the public domain 95 years after their publication (for pre-1978 works) or 70 years after the author’s death (for post-1978 works, or 95/120 years for corporate works), with new works entering each January 1st, so as of January 1, 2026, works published in 1930 entered the public domain. This means works from 1930, like early Mickey Mouse cartoons, are now freely usable, while works created today will remain protected until 70 years after the creator’s death. 

* * *

The Center for the Study of the Public Domain on the website of Duke University Law School has a good explanation of the notion of the public domain. Here are a couple of quotes:

When works go into the public domain, they can legally be shared, without permission or fee.

The public domain is also a wellspring for creativity. You could think of it as the yin to copyright’s yang. Copyright law gives authors important rights that encourage creativity and distribution—this is a very good thing. But the United States Constitution requires that those rights last only for a “limited time,” so that when they expire, works go into the public domain, where future authors can legally build on the past—reimagining the books, making them into films, adapting the songs and movies. That’s a good thing too! It is part of copyright’s ecosystem. The point of copyright is to promote creativity, and the public domain plays a central role in doing so.

* * *

Fortunately for us, as of January 1, 2026, thousands of copyrighted works from 1930 entered the public domain in the U.S. Sound recordings from 1925 are also included.

Here are a few that entered the PD this year (with some interesting trivia):

  •  The Maltese Falcon  by Dashiell Hammett – Even though the gold- and jewel-laden Maltese Falcon wasn’t found in the story, the statuettes used as props in the movie turned out to be very valuable indeed. In 2013 a buyer paid $4.1 million for one of them.
  • The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie – Although Miss Marple had appeared in short stories before, The Murder at the Vicarage was her first role as the detective in a novel.
  • As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner – Faulkner claimed to have written the book in six weeks (!) while working at a Mississippi power plant. The book has 15 narrators over 59 chapters. (The title comes from a quote in Homer’s Odyssey where Odysseus has traveled to Hades and meets his old pal Agamemnon who complains about his wife’s behavior as he lay dying.)
  • The first four Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene – As most of us know, Carolyn Keene was the pseudonym for the group of writers in the Stratemeyer Syndicate who produced the Nancy Drew novels. The first books were penned by Mildred Benson, a woman whose adventurous life as a journalist and pilot (I hope Patricia Bradley is reading this) contributed to Nancy Drew’s persona.
  • The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (pseudonym of Arnold Munk) – The tale’s basic idea appeared in a Swedish journal in 1902. Early versions were published in American newspapers around 1906 as sermons or moral tales. The themes of optimism, perseverance, and service over status have captured children’s (and adults’) imaginations for decades. (I wonder if I could write a good book with those themes. I think I can. I think I can.)

A few more books on the 2026 list:

  • Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
  • Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
  • Private Lives by Noël Coward
  • Ash Wednesday by T.S. Eliot
  • The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell

And several movies:

  • All Quiet on the Western Front, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture
  • Cimarron, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture
  • Animal Crackers, starring the Marx Brothers
  • Soup to Nuts, featuring later members of The Three Stooges
  • Hell’s Angels, Jean Harlow’s film debut, directed by Howard Hughes
  • Murder!, directed by Alfred Hitchcock

A more comprehensive list can be found on the Center for the Study of the Public Domain site.

* * *

So TKZers: Have you read or watched any of the new public domain additions? What other artistic works that have recently come into the public domain do you recommend?

* * *

 

Forty years ago, Lacey Alderson died—and the truth was buried with her. In Lacey’s Star, private pilot Cassie Deakin lands in the middle of the mystery and discovers old secrets that refuse to stay hidden any longer.

Click the image to fly with Cassie.

Creative Quirk or Signature?

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When I first strolled through my new house with the realtor, I noticed a lot of unfinished work. For example, the previous owner painted the barn to match the house but left the tip of the peak untouched. Support posts on the covered porch were all painted, except the top of one. It baffled me. Why wouldn’t she paint those spots? Higher areas, she’d painted.

I could tell she’s creative. Painted butterflies, hummingbirds, and flowers dotted the landscape.

Did I buy the house from an emerging artist?

The support beam in the new addition (living room) has pallet wood wrapped around two sides, with the third side only painted. Gorgeous wood frames the back mudroom ceiling except for one tiny missing piece. The underside of an outside railing has new paint, one bare space, then continues to the barn loft. Four solar motion detectors line the back fence, with one blacked out with tape.

After I moved in, the closer I examined small details, the more my curiosity piqued. What’s going on here? The previous owner clearly has a fondness for 3s (as do I). Or maybe, she knows the importance of the number 3.

The number 3 often appears in nature and fundamental structures:

  • Atoms: protons, neutrons, electrons
  • Dimensions: length, width, height
  • Cycles: birth, life, death
  • Time: past, present, future
  • Essential survival needs: air, water, food
  • Geometric strength: The triangle is the simplest and most stable shape — it’s represented in everything from molecular structure to human-made architecture
  • Monocots: many flowering plants (monocots) have flower parts in multiples of three
  • Tree structure: roots, trunk, canopy
  • Primary colors of light: red, blue, yellow
  • States of matter: solid, liquid, gas
  • Layers of skin: epidermis, dermis, hypodermis
  • Types of muscle: skeletal, cardiac, smooth
  • Germ layers during development: ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm
  • Circulations: Systemic, Pulmonary, Portal
  • Trinity: Earth, sun, moon… body, mind, spirit
  • Genetic code: DNA instructions are read in triplets (codons) to build proteins
  • Sensory Perception: Human color vision is trichromatic, based on three types of cones in the eyes sensitive to red, green, and blue light
  • Survival “Rule of 3”: Humans can typically survive 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in harsh environments, and 3 days without water
  • Geographic regions: land, sea, air
  • Insects: adult insects are characterized by a 3-part body: head, thorax, abdomen.
  • Dietary groups: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores

The number 3 represents universal patterns of stability and completeness.

Did the emerging artist find comfort in the power of 3? The mystery haunted me as I surveyed my new property.

Then one morning, I was admiring the sunrise from the back mudroom, when I noticed she’d painted only three sides of a window frame. The floor she tiled, except for one square in the corner by the water heater.

A ha! It’s an intentional act. Her creative signature, if you will.

Kind of a pain for the new buyer (me) to touch up all these spots but I also respect her creativeness — she left her signature on every improvement she made. And helped create the quirkiness I love about the property.

To her credit, she also left the supplies to finish every project. Maybe I’ll leave one or two minuscule signatures in a corner that’s not visible to others, as an homage to her creative spirit. Not the living room beam — that blank side drives me crazy. What she probably never considered was that buyers deduct money from their offer for unfinished projects. It’s automatic. The more a buyer must do, the less they want to spend.

The same could be said for readers.

If a reader runs into too many writing tics, they’ll either:

  • Never read that author again
  • Deduct stars for the annoyance
  • Give the author one last chance; they better deliver in the next book

Writing tics could be seen as a creative signature of sorts, I suppose, but not in a good way. Readers don’t want to be yanked from the story. They want immersion. They want you to sweep them away, to transport them into the scene and hold them captive. Writing tics do the opposite.

Even in my new home, some might look at the unfinished spots in a negative way. Not me. Though I’ll complete most of the projects for continuity, I love the quirkiness of the understated ones. With the mystery of why she did it solved, I appreciate her creative spirit.

The same cannot be said for writing tics. If you made no other writing resolutions this year, add this: Tighten your prose, TKZers!

NATIONAL CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK DAY

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“Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.” —John Wesley

* * *

Yes, that’s right. Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. Oh, great. I just finished putting away the holiday decorations and was working on tax info to turn over to our accountant, and now they tell me I have to clean off my desk. I don’t have time for this.

But I’m a good team player, and my desk definitely needs some reorganization, so I went to the National Clean Off Your Desk Day site to get some inspiration and advice on exactly how to proceed. Here’s what they say:

This day is an opportunity to begin your new year with a clean and organized workspace. Whether your desk is in a private or shared office, cubicle, home or a make-shift desk on the counter, having your workspace uncluttered and organized will help you work more efficiently. A clean workspace improves productivity and inspires us, too. It often gives us a sense of serenity. (My emphasis)

They go on to outline a step-by-step process:

  • Remove everything from your desk. Yes, everything.
  • Clean the surface. As you replace items, clean them with the appropriate cleaning supply. Usually, a damp cloth is sufficient, but other electrical items need specific care.
  • Get out the shredder and the garbage can. Shred, file, scan documents, business cards, recipes, photos as needed.
  • Place all documents and photos in the appropriate locations.
  • Shred and toss outdated documents, non-working pens, junk mail.

That’s good advice, and I was just getting ready to start on Step One when something occurred to me. Maybe there’s another way to look at this.

* * *

“Cleanliness is the scourge of art.” —Craig Brown

I don’t know if Craig Brown is correct, but since I place myself on the messier side of humanity, I want to believe it. Is it possible that creative people are messier than others?

I found evidence in an article on sciencedaily.com entitled “Tidy desk or messy desk? Each has its benefits.”

Working at a clean and prim desk may promote healthy eating, generosity, and conventionality, according to new research. But, the research also shows that a messy desk may confer its own benefits, promoting creative thinking and stimulating new ideas.

Well, that’s a relief. Maybe I can ignore the chaos for a while longer.

In an experiment overseen by psychological researcher Dr. Kathleen Vohs, 48 participants were asked to come up with novel uses for a ping pong ball. Half the participants worked in a messy room and half in a neat room. The result?

Overall, participants in the messy room generated the same number of ideas for new uses as their clean-room counterparts. But their ideas were rated as more interesting and creative when evaluated by impartial judges.

“Being in a messy room led to something that firms, industries, and societies want more of: Creativity,” says Vohs.

And we all know creativity is the lifeblood of good fiction.

So my desk isn’t messy. It’s simply a manifestation of my creativity. I like that.

Now where did I put that stapler?

* * *

So TKZers: What does your desk look like? Does a messy desk inhibit your work? Or does it inspire you?

* * *

 

My ten-year-old protagonist and aspiring novelist, Reen, understands the signs of creativity. When her 9-year-old cousin points out a smudge on Reen’s shirt, she replies, “No problem. Authors are supposed to be sloppy. That’s because we’re creatives.”

I like the way she thinks.

Click the image to go to the universal book link.

What a Difference a Day Makes

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Mindset, clarity, control, and/or opportunities can all change in a single day. Think of how many plot twists could occur in a 24-hour period. Characters run full force into danger, narrowly escape, and end the evening in a hot tub with a cocktail. Or they don’t escape. Imagine how grueling every second of captivity must feel?

Entire novels that take place in a single day include:

  • Saturday by Ian McEwan follows a neurosurgeon through his Saturday, dealing with personal and national anxieties.
  • The Hours by Michael Cunningham interweaves three women’s lives across different eras, all connected by Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, with events occurring in one day. Albeit in different years.
  • The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian is about a flight attendant who wakes with a dead man in a Dubai hotel. The MC must piece together the previous night before her next flight.
  • Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney: A couple’s anniversary trip to a remote Scottish castle turns sinister as secrets unravel in a single, stormy weekend (more than one day but still a condensed timeframe).
  • Supremely Tiny Acts by Sonya Huber explores the small moments of a single day in a woman’s life.
  • The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker focuses on a man’s lunch hour and his detailed observations of office life.
  • The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is a romance novel that follows two teens who meet and fall in love in a single day in New York City.

The above list demonstrates this technique isn’t limited to thrillers. A condensed timeframe could work with almost any genre.

Movie Examples:

  • Collateral shows how a cab driver’s night turns deadly as he’s forced to drive a hitman around LA for one wild night of murder and mayhem.
  • Ambulance focuses on two robbers who hijack an ambulance, and leads to a city-wide chase.
  • Unstoppable is about a runaway train that threatens a city, with a veteran engineer and young conductor racing to stop it in hours.
  • The Taking of Pelham 123 shows how a subway dispatcher must outwit hijackers holding passengers hostage in a lone NYC subway car.

All these stories use the compressed timeframe to heighten tension and force characters to make immediate decisions, which often leads to more conflict and higher stakes. Compressed timeframe novels are almost impossible to put down. The movies? Forget about it. They demand your full attention — keep the pause button handy for bathroom breaks. You won’t want to miss a second!

Crafting a novel set within a 24-hour period requires tight plotting, a strong central conflict, and a heightened sense of urgency.

Tips to Write Compressed Timeline Novels

Use a chronological structure that follows the progression of the day, from sunrise to sunset or from the inciting incident through the next 24-hours. If you begin each chapter with a heading to mark the hour, it’ll emphasize the ticking clock and add even more intensity.

Anchor the story around a major time-sensitive event, like a party, heist, or sudden disaster. The main character’s journey through this event provides a natural narrative arc. A strong inciting incident is a must. Whatever event kicks off the quest should happen early and be urgent enough to force the MC to act. For example, in Ian McEwan’s Saturday, the MC witnesses an accident that disrupts his peaceful day.

Use backstory strategically through dialogue, internal thoughts, or quick flashbacks. All must relate to the main storyline and reveal important tidbits and/or character traits. Since time is limited, be intentional with your dialogue. Conversations between characters can reveal relevant backstory and propel the plot forward.

Avoid unnecessary subplots. With such a tight window of time, every scene, conversation, and action should serve the storyline. You could weave in a subplot between dueling protagonists, like unreciprocated romantic feelings or a divorced couple forced to work together. Both would cause even more conflict and obstacles.

Word of caution: Don’t let the subplot destroy the pacing of the novel or detract from the main storyline. Let’s use my two quick suggestions as examples. The awkward moments of unreciprocated love could be used as comedy relief to give the reader a break from the tension. A divorced couple could also add hilarity if one spouse nitpicks the other at the worst possible time.

A countdown structure, where the plot builds toward the climax, heightens stakes, builds tension and conflict. Keep raising those stakes — challenge your characters! They cannot escape their fate by waiting for tomorrow, thus the pressure escalates throughout the day.

Use the setting to your advantage. Saturate the narrative with sensory details to create a strong sense of place, mood, and atmosphere. Take advantage of the time of day, traffic, weather, and location to reflect the characters’ changing moods and emotions.

Limit your cast. With less time to develop characters, a smaller cast allows for more intimate and detailed dynamics.

There isn’t much time for massive external changes, so trigger character flaws early and focus on internal changes to create a strong character arc. Show how the day’s events force them to change strategy, perspective, or arrive at a new understanding.

Also, the compressed timeline allows the perfect place to demonstrate the three dimensions of character through action and reaction under pressure. Give readers direct access to their inner lives with a deep POV. An omniscient narrator won’t be as effective.

Hope you all had a joyous holiday season, TKZers!

Have you written a story with a limited timeframe? What’s your favorite “crunch time” movie or novel? Why did the tight timeline work for you?

Reader Friday-Christmas Movie Night

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What is your all-time holiday movie favorite?

Here’s two of mine:

It’s A Wonderful Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a third one…I’m not sure this is a Christmas movie, but I watched it a few years back while caring for grandchildren for a few days around holiday time.

What a snorter! And it’s a good thing it was so funny, because the youngest grand-dude insisted on watching it with me at least twice a day!   🙂

Zootopia

 

I don’t remember ever laughing so hard at a cartoon, even as a child. (I think this sloth scene was the best…)

 

Over to you, Killzoners! Your favorite holiday movie…

This is my last TKZ post for 2025. See you in 2026…and I hope you have a safe, peaceful, and joyful holiday season, my friends!