words and their meanings... or not

 

Let's start with-- What is a trope?

Next could be-- it's the word I was avoiding last week. I had looked up the dictionary meaning before deciding against using it in the blog. But then, I began to think about the various ways it can be taken. With the expansion, it seemed like a good subject as it's broader in its meaning that I read from the dictionary. 

First, the dictionary meaning that I found: cliched, figure of speech, common or overused term... 

With that, it's easy to see why I backed off in terms of connecting it to my writing.  What writer wants to think their theme is cliched?

That's not how I've heard of it for marketing books. It was used as we'd use keywords. Let the reader know what they'll get. I thought that once they see  your book via a trope, it's up to you to show them why your book is different. Tropes are important as readers do have to find books in searches. 

As I expanded my thinking, I thought of the various ways a trope might be used by a writer. First is when looking for the next topic or theme, what do readers want? It would depend then on whether, as a writer, this pays the bills, or if you can afford to write what your muse is delivering to you via dreams, reading, or what you suddenly think of from seemingly out of nowhere. What fascinates the writer, then how to mix it up with the tropes that are selling best in that specific genre.

For the literary minded, trope is probably a bad word, and it's easy to see that if someone studies the NYTimes best selling list. Does a book about drug dealers have a trope? How about from a child growing up in a horrible home, and now wanting to share what that meant? Maybe it does but some of the bestsellers, thinking Where the Crawdads Sing, and I have no idea what the trope, for it, would even be. Yes, I have read most of that book as I loved that title.

Where it comes to using tropes, it can be a cover or title that the writer has to find after writing the book-- or maybe sometimes, before writing it, as a way to keep on a path.

For me, I come up with titles later. Sometimes it works well for me and to hopefully find readers but other times, not so much.

With bringing out my eight new books, which are rewritten older books, I am thinking of tropes that might work. If the writer uses Amazon to sell books, they have their own set of rules that must be considered-- whether called Tropes or Categories.

BTW, I chose a sunset photo to head this blog because sunsets alone can be seen as tropes. Maybe cliched as in used a lot, but they do speak to us-- one way or the other.

 

a bit of this and that -- along with a video

 by Rain Trueax

 

With an election that seems to have stretched as long as the campaign, this has not been a fun week for much of anybody. Yes, we are finally in November, but it's looking kind of dire at least politically. However someone wanted the election to turn out, it  would not have been like this, but it is what it is-- as they say. To govern with such a divided nation and such a weak victory will be a challenge at the least. I am going to stay away from politics here as the election is finally over. What I will be caring about are cultural issues and hopefully writing fiction as I let go of the upset and move ahead with my own life-- something I wish for all of you.

My Facebook has those who claim that this is the End Times and the Rapture is about to happen to take them away from this planet to avoid the apocalypse that they believe is coming. They point to signs. I mostly snooze them as I don't need a month of that kind of thinking. Maybe they know that many generations, since the beginning, have claimed it's the End Times and hence those who came before also hoped they would not have to fix what had gone wrong but just have to wait-- sometimes on a hilltop-- to be saved.

Here's my thinking on that kind of prophecy. It is currently pushed by those who see a mandated vaccine might lead to no ability to buy or sell without the magic marker. There is a Biblical prophecy that speaks of that, but it could have been done any time by many governments. It doesn't take a magic vaccine requirement. 

Plus, if you follow those prophecies in the Bible, Old and New Testament, the Antichrist has to come first along with the Beast. Do you see anybody in a position to rule the known world as it stands, who is seen as a hero, and can then dictate laws at a whim? Some believed that was Hitler, Caesar, or many others before this. It was not and today there is no such figure; so back to the drawing boards to fix what is going wrong around the world as no easy escape-- yet anyway.

Religion offers so many answers but usually they don't turn out to be permanent for what happens on earth. Try fixing what we can for our culture without looking for a magic out. Too difficult? Well, waiting on a hilltop (figuratively today) isn't fixing anything. 

I am not saying people should not find comfort from a spiritual belief or a religion, just don't use it as a cop-out-- is my personal opinion.

It seems all I have for good photos are sunsets and they don't come every night. The ones here show a sky looking like it's on fire along with rain falling that never hits the earth. Kind of symbolic, dontchathink? *s* I only recently learned that that kind of rain is called Virga.

 

For our personal mental health, we have been able to sit out on the patio and watch the birds as the heat is getting to manageable levels. Wednesday, we watched a roadrunner, head back and forth under the feeders but not have any interest in the seed. He (or she) would once in a while leap into the air but as mere humans, we had no idea at the purpose of that. Fun to watch as all birdwatching is in times of human stress.

I didn't write in last Saturday's blog about Ronni Bennett dying as I didn't know she had chosen last Friday for her day to let go. She wrote Time Goes By and was someone many of us regularly read for ideas on aging, as she experienced it, and then about her getting a death sentence disease as she fought it and finally her experience with the process of dying. Fortunately for Ronni, Oregon has MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) and she knew she had that to release herself from suffering. It's a good law and well thought out. She wrote about it in her blog; so I know more about it than I ever would have until my own time had come.

 

She had arranged for someone to be with her at the end as well as to take over her blog. That won't be easy but she had many fans, who will appreciate having a place to continue to share if it works out. Besides the notice of Ronni's passing, her friend left these words:

"I will leave you with knowing that she was ready. Just before she died, she said, 'When you get here, it is really nice. I am not afraid.'" – Autumn

Comforting words and how I am sure we all hope it will be when it's our turn-- as it inevitably will be sooner or later. 

Once in a while, I do a video chat type thing. I don't have a word for it but it's me talking about what's going on. I wish I was better at them as I enjoy seeing others talk as it makes this internet world seem more real. This one, I did about what i was planning-- not that there is much of a plan.  If you enjoy such, it lasts 6 minutes (zero politics) and really discusses nothing important. With us being in more or less isolation, not a lot happens that is exciting-- and that's a good thing given the alternatives :)

 

ending of a month

 by Rain Trueax

 

 As  so many have said about 2020, I am saying the same thing about October. which ends today with Halloween. I've written about my health experiences throughout it, and have little more to add except I am glad that my problem appears to be nightshade intolerance. I can do something about it if I learn enough and am careful enough...

The bad part is nightshades are used in so many foods; so October has not been a fun month for me-- as we discover one after another the hard way. I am glad to see it go and hope from what I have learned, November will be better. Between that and the loss of a good friend, this will be a month never to be remembered fondly-- despite it being mine and my daughter's birthday month. Since I've never made a big thing out of my birthday, it was no loss on its sake. I won't say the same for the rest-- nor more details, which I am sure you don't want to hear.

So what can I say for a blog, when I want to stay off politics (will be so glad to see this season end) and have no idea where our country will be heading culturally? (hoping for the best) When you are laid low during a pandemic, not much exciting happens. Just getting through some days is enough. I know Halloween is a big deal to some folks but where we live kids don't come and our own kids and grandkids don't live close nor do they probably trick or treat any more-- if their state allows.

But then along came this sunset.  A video sometimes is worth making especially in a time like ours that can be upsetting. (Tucson Autumn Sunset)

Happy November-- I hope :)

but never mind

by Rain Trueax

We are told to be peaceful. We are told that nothing is going on and that the demonstrations are peaceful. Those who stick to mainstream cable news probably believe it. If they get all their news from the left and that includes public radio and television, they probably believe it. If they go for more diverse sources, local news, online magazines, and personal accounts, they know it's not that simple. Yes, the entire country is not on fire. Not all of Portland, Oregon has riots. But where they will be, nobody knows except maybe the ones coordinating, that which is not supposed to be organized.

Again, I am giving a break before I go onto cultural issues, which I know some don't want-- besides, not all who read here come from the US. So if it's not of interest, come back another day. 

making a life

by Rain Trueax

sunset April 30th from Casa Espiritu

With the self-distancing and quarantining going on, there has been talk about how introverts handle such times better than extroverts, which does make sense. We tend to need a lot of time alone even when there isn't a virus running around. BUT I began to realize, as a lifelong introvert, that with this need for isolation, it's bothering me too.

Not much going on

by Rain Trueax

Our projects since we got to Casa Espiritu have been small ones, but I think good for the house. One is to begin replacing the windows in the living room with energy efficient ones. We got several bids and opted for less fancy windows than we bought for the Oregon house. Tucson, with its sometimes extreme summer heat, seem like a place to be practical. It'll take a month and a half to get them here with a crew to install them. I am not fond of having work done in the house and one window is right by my desk. But still, just one day and then better for not having the window let in so much cold, heat, and noise.

The travel trailer also needs repairs from damage done a few years back by the ironwood tree when we drove in. Turns out it hadn't been repaired well enough and now involves damage to the wood around the skylight. That one is more complicated because if we took it to a dealer, it could cost $4000 and have it there a month or more. If Ranch Boss does it, it's a lot of work for him but less cost as he replaces the disintegrated particle board with plywood and then seals it. He looked into a mobile repair guy coming here but turns out that they don't do that kind of work.

In the evenings, we watch to see if we are going to get a good sunset. It does not always happen as sometimes there is color but no structure and sometimes not much of either. Still, worth looking for.

To date, it's only had one time warm enough for me to sit on the patio to watch the birds. It's not cold by comparison to the north, but it's also not that warm without wearing a coat. So no photos of birds yet but there are a lot here.

We also saw the javelina with some babies-- but no photos. They are something to watch out for when going outside. Small and not dangerous to the level of feral hogs, their tusks can tear a person's leg open if they get startled and did kill the neighbor's dog some years back. Something that made us sad, as she was a really sweet dog, but she had to protect her property, and they had babies.

One more project that Ranch Boss had someone do was getting the gravel landing pad ready for moving the travel trailer beside the carport. That won't happen until the trailer has been repaired; so currently, it blocks part of our view toward the Tucson Mountains. 

This is all kind of mundane stuff and other than my writing and some ideas for possible trips down here for after Christmas, that's pretty much all there has been as we unwind from the drive and settle in here.

nature's gifts

by Diane and Rain
 

 Arizona sunset 12-4-19

With Diane taking a break until 2020, due to her need to be there for her husband healing from major surgery, her hanging a new show at her town's library, and computer problems, I will be posting all the blogs until after the New Year. I'll keep a regular one on Saturdays, as always, but the others may vary for which days or some might just be photos, such as the one above.

It turned out that sometime back I had put in a Word doc what Diane had written about a small stone she had given me and a painting she had done inspired from it. I instantly loved the stone, loved to touch it for its shape and smoothness. Of course, I had to buy the painting. With it she gave me a poem she had written. The stone and painting are in Oregon. I had taken photos of them thinking someday I might use them in a blog.

This seems the perfect time and season for the words and images.

tribes

by Rain Trueax

"Tribe-- a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader." Dictionary definition

Do you think much about tribes and what they mean? There have been times in history where you belonged to a tribe or you died. Breaking the rules of the tribe could send someone into a solitary life where it was impossible to survive. An example was the Apaches where an unfaithful woman was banished and had her nose cut off in punishment. How do I know about this? -- Research and regressions... Tribes are cultural and not just Native American or African. They also are not just about friendships. It's more about a common purpose, I think.

In today's world, people tend to move around; so communities aren't static tribes; they might think they are with those moving in and out. Tribes might be about careers, but when it is, the tribal connection often ends when the job does. Churches and political parties are the same way-- share the beliefs or you're out the door-- by choice or otherwise. I have not been much of a joiner, but clubs could provide a tribal experience. They require having a common interest, which could last a lifetime like say gardening.