Swans as symbols

 

 (all images from the site-- Stencil)

Since I used the term black swan in the last blog, I thought I'd go more into the swan's meaning in history but also how it is used in fiction. Historically and in many cultures, swans themselves are seen as having a relationship to the spiritual realm. They are considered symbols of loyalty, fidelity and love. It can also be believed that when seen they bring joy, luck and creativity. 

Their transformation from the ugly duckling can be seen as the journey we all take in our lives. We grow and change, shed old ways and become something new and beautiful. This is a common theme in fiction stories or part of what is called the hero's journey, which Joseph Campbell famously wrote about. Swans, as symbols, are found in many ancient mythologies to have powers when seen or dreamed.

What then about the black swan, which I mentioned in connection with a recent event in the world's story. Because they are more rare, they are identified with a highly improbable event, which, when it happens, seems unpredictable, having a huge impact and finally where people seek to explain why it happened even though they didn't ahead of time.

When writing fiction, people want to see that what happens makes sense. For instance, a bad guy shows up and when the final confrontation happens, the reader expected it. Black swans are not expected at least to the protagonists, maybe not to the reader. 

Reading more on their meaning, I learned they can be positive in their impact-- though most are not.  When we had the recent pandemic, though there had been others before, would that fit being a black swan-- definitely not of the positive sort? 

Most of the time, in my books, I try to lay groundwork for what is coming that will challenge the characters. When that doesn't work, it's because nature threw a curve ball. An example is a big earthquake, which impacted Tucson, Arizona. Such an event comes from out of nowhere. It was not predicted and earthquakes, volcanoes and many natural happenings are not-- although some more today due to science then in the past.

I've mostly read about black swans in a global sense, but I believe they fit a life also as something comes from out of nowhere, at least seemingly, and changes our whole trajectory for future living.

In figuring out a plot, I think it's better to have things build toward a crisis, but it doesn't always work that way in life-- so can also be thrown into the story as in the huge fire that destroyed early San Francisco. 

That is the fun of writing-- how so many things can be used-- positively or negatively. 

commenting failures

 I don't know what is causing this, but I appear to be unable to publish comments in other blogs. It will say it's publishing and then comes a second notice that an error occurred and it cannot publish. This is frustrating as it involves blogs I visit, want to comment, and then get that message. If anyone knows what I can do to change that... please leave a comment, assuming the same thing is not happening on my blog. In which case, what's going on is something i need to research elsewhere as I think it's Google related.... grrrrr

Annular Eclipse

 Short post to share the photo from this week-end of the Annular Eclipse from what we could see south of the ideal location to see the whole ring of fire. We had the safe glasses and an attachment for the camera thanks to having seen the full eclipse a few years back, when it passed right over our farm in Oregon. 

The Annular did darken the land briefly but not as much here as maybe north of us. The birds reacted to it as did the leaves on the trees. Looking at it through the glasses, it seemed no different than the moon during its phases-- except this was the sun. I guess the next one will be in South America and a year away.

black swans

 

Before what happened last Saturday in Israel, I had a plan for a blog. Changing that plan, came a black swan, of the worst kind. There is no way I could write my original idea, after the atrocities, and yes, evil was perpetrated there. I get it that some of my readers may see this other than how I do. I can only write here how I see things based on many things, including my knowledge of the history of the land. It matters to many of us, Jew or not, as the spiritual significance of that place to so many religions. Besides which, the history of man's communities, fascinates those of us who write..

My decision to not write about that Saturday might change with time, but as it stands, I don't want to write about these kind of events. I get it that some who read here already know. Some have their head in the sand, can't blame them; but either way, the big thing now is healing, including for those of us not directly involved in that horror. I have not slept a solid night through ever since.

I wish I knew more about those of you, who read here, but I do not. Very few comment of those who come. That is freedom, of course. You might consider becoming a real person here if you want meaningful conversations. If not, continue reading and best wishes that whatever I share here might bee beneficial for inspiration, education, or just being in a community of some sort.

For now, in terms of finding moments for healing, I found a link to something I put together a few years back. I think it can be soothing. The music is from a company, unfortunately no longer doing music for videos. I bought it though and am glad I have license rights from Jewel Beat for Distant Tales. The images are ours.

Roses in the Rain

Hummingbird life as they depend on us right now

 Allergies are still knocking my... I am trying different meds and hoping the weather changes soon and the pollen and dust are gone. *fingers crossed* 

In the meantime, try this video-- again humming birds-- one of our simple joys right now. This pair lives here-- or so we think, as who can ask. The video is longer than the previous one.It starts slow but listen for their sounds.

I hope to feel like writing more for next week. I am interested in the topic of aging.

Hummingbird pair

When times aren't great

 

Unexpectedly, this has been my week for allergies. Argh. I am taking an antihistamine and decongestant, which makes my usual shakiness (from familial tremors) worse, which makes typing no fun. I thought instead of words, I'd share a picture and a small video of what soothes me when times aren't so great. 

 

These were taken last week. *s* I do not know how much longer the video will take for readers to view. Maybe let me know. I have another longer video but again, unsure if it's worth it for readers here. They are fun to watch.

How we bloom

 

My new topic involves something we've been reading plenty about-- some of us with books purportedly written by an author but that were AI generated or from Chat GPT. 

There is a rather famous quote from the Marx brothers originally and evidently paraphrased a bit by a comedian. "Who you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?"

That's the thing today, who can you believe with not only the ability of our eyes to lie, but also this new world of AI generated writing. How worried should we be about it?

One thing is-- when you see a speech by a politician, watch out as it can have been changed to say what that person would never have said. Movies can generate new faces for the stars, that are much younger. We just saw that with an Indiana Jones film. 

Amazon is going to ban those who publish three books the same day. I don't even know why someone, who is using AI would want to do that many, but apparently some have or there'd not be the ban. Amazon does not want these computer generated books. They want them by real, creative minds. How do they assure that?

This article was out today about what some famous authors are doing about the situation-- or trying to do. Top Authors with a lawsuit.

These are writers, who sell in the millions of books. If they are concerned, should we be who sell far less? What they say is the Chat GPT or the OpenAI source is using what they wrote to learn their style and then duplicate it. The argument by OpenAI is, this is innovation. Except don't we ask who it profits. What authors want is, companies cannot use their books to train AI without their permission and maybe paying some money. Makes sense to me and hopefully it will the courts.

It might seem this is only an issue for writers but what about readers? When someone buys a book, they are looking for inspiration and an exciting or educational read. If it's only duplicating what has been written, what are the odds of that?

 So, now, here's how I see this whole issue of AI and Chat GPT? First of all, I am open to advancements in technology. I've seen them. When I wrote my first stories, they were cursive on blank paper. Then I got a Royal typewriter where you had to type firmly to get the letters to show up and use whiteout for mistakes. I had an electric typewriter when I needed to type Ranch Boss's thesis. I thought it was the way to write a book. 

Years later, he suggested I try the Atari he had bought. No way, it'd never be the same. Then, I found out I could move a paragraph to a new spot when it's where it belonged. Also, no more whiteout or little white papers. From then on, it's been one advancement after another to where I am today with a laptop, monitor and keyboard with computer telling me when I misspelled a word. 

With the internet, I graduated from using card catalogs for research, when I'd jot down the info on note cards, to now using the search engines-- although I don't trust what I find totally and buy books that I learn their titles from the online research. 

As a writer, I have no interest though in AI or Chat GPT. I have used Grammerly to help me know when I've used a word too often but that's not the same as AI.I don't want a system to tell me how to write a sentence-- not here or anywhere. 

Yes, it appears some are using it to write their books faster than I could ever do one. The same would be true if the writer followed a formula. I do not and don't want to do so. I wonder if those writers will develop their own innovative ideas.

For me, from school on, when we do our own work, we learn from it. Writing one books helps me get better at the next one. Would using artificial intelligence do that for me-- or anybody. 

If someone wants to be a creative person, do your own work. It pays off in the end.

These hedgehog cactus are blooming again because of the rain we had earlier. We bloom likewise by how we water and feed ourselves.

 

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.

 

discombobulated

 

I am feeling discombobulated these days. For example, I am thinking many directions, from nature to politics to relationships, to what I should do or not do based on what I am reading or my life. See, that's the problem. I don't have a fundamental direction as I've had many times in my past. Not sure what to blame that on.

Because we are working on new covers and/or titles for the eight, pulled, Arizona historical romances that are also westerns, I thought I might use a word I'd heard recently that sounded good-- until I looked up its meaning. Forget that and I won't even reveal it here since I didn't want to use it anyway. Let's just say, its dictionary meaning was not flattering in terms of using it. It is not discombobulated. That's me lol

Trying to get these eight books ready to go, three weeks or so apart, has me worried and might be part of the discombobulation. The first one came out with a different title in 2012. Yet, to bring it out again with the additions I've made, I have to call it a new book other than in the blurb where I must mention its previous appearances-- except no way do I remember them all besides the first one. I am not even sure where I can promote the book given it's new to Amazon's thinking but not to some readers, who bought it originally. I might add I can't give it away since it's not an edit but a revision... It does have a new ending, but the story has stayed the same for the gist of it-- other than improved editing. 

So rather than write about what I am working on, I want to share the newest pictures from our little piece of desert. I mentioned earlier that the cacti bloom at different times here, with the last ones, what we call barrel cactus. It is from the family Cactaceae, native to North and South America.

There are more technical terms for it, but all the ones we have were either here when we arrived or are growing now. Cactus do that-- produce and reproduce. The barrel cactus are putting on their show now.  I am not sure how old they must be to bloom, but the babies don't do it. Their fruit will form afterward, which desert animals will eat in the winter. I even saw a ground squirrel climb the spines to get at the fruit. Desert critters are tough.

 

You will probably notice the bee in some of these. The saguaros entice more bees, but one is welcome.
 

 

Super Blue Moon and writing

This was the week of what is called the Super Blue Moon. Super because the moon is closer to earth than other times. Blue Moon because it's the second full moon in the month. Some consider it to have spiritual power. It definitely influences the tides, which led to concern for the recent hurricane coming out of the Caribbean, hitting Cuba, then heading for a side of Florida that doesn't usually get forceful hurricanes, like a Type 4.  

Because I've been writing blurbs for when we bring out the Arizona historical romances, as new books after having to pull them, I thought maybe some were not aware of the difference between a synopsis and a blurb. 

A synopsis uses the basic outline of the book and with more words, lets a possible agent or book publisher know the story. It follows the entire plot, with minimal words and has the ending also. It is, of course, intended to make the book sound good; so words are carefully chosen to tell the tale but in a way flattering to the story. If someone wrote a solid outline first, it makes the synopsis easier.

A blurb, on the other hand, doesn't want to tell too much. It's intended to intrigue a reader and make them curious as to what happens. They are not easy to write, in my experience.

 

Writing eight of them, one after the other, was more difficult; but, I did it with the idea it was a rough draft. It was made easier that I had just edited all but two of the books. They will come out one a month or maybe three weeks between. I have time for the last blurbs to be improved.

The way I do a blurb would not suit all books, but I think they best let the reader know the gist of the characters' issues as well as make them wonder what makes it difficult. The nature of romance tells the reader the couple will get together. What makes it worth the reader's time to find out how that happens.

I start with the female protagonist for a paragraph, then comes a paragraph for her possible love interest. The final lines will relate to what it would take for these two to make it together-- without giving away the whole thing. When a book has violence or is spicy, this is also the place to let readers know. 

(The Super Blue Moon photos are from our Tucson home)

Late August

 

As it stands, I don't have anything much to write about. Things are happening, good things, but they involve family, who I don't use in this blog (privacy for them). But it's been an interesting time for weather. The belated monsoons have arrived but with varying amounts of rain, depending on where someone lives in the Tucson valley. We got one with 3/4" of rain and another with just 1/10". The first had wonderful lightning strikes and much more rain elsewhere with some major damage. That's one thing about this desert valley, there can be a huge difference only a mile apart.

Even when the monsoons aren't producing big storms, their clouds are awesome as they slide by us to other areas. Predicting what they will do is a challenge even for the meteorologists. I was just glad no fires from those bolts. I'd have tried for a photo, as so many strikes, but sometimes a person has to just enjoy as photos of lightning are hard to get in my experience.

 

The barrel cactus are blooming, which makes for a lot of color as its the last cactus to bloom for the season. If we happen to be here, we enjoy this show. This year we saw a lot of new ones starting out in other areas; so good for the future.

The following pictures are what I have for now. Beauty is the desert.

 

 

More on writing coming up. I am doing a lot of editing, but there is that book I began before the pandemic hit us. I have more of an idea what comes next :) And there are the eight Arizona historical romances where we still need to write blurbs. Ugh on blubs, as bad as a synopsis-- no, worse!

Back to editing... such fun lol

 

 In writing for publication, the reader has to be taken into account-- whether it's a blog, story, or book. The author desires to write their story and that's the most powerful part of the initial draft-- at least in my case. I try to get the grammar right at the same time, but not at the point of losing my flow. 

Then, comes editing... Although writers could send their manuscripts off to a professional editor right away, most go through many edits before doing that. After all, they are the main ones to know the theme they are trying to portray. 

When editing, it's not just about possible typos or misspelled words, missing commas, etc., but also what readers will find disrupting to their experience with their own flow of reading.

Here's where trouble starts with words we typically misuse when speaking; but when written down, they become more obnoxious to a future reader-- especially readers of the anal sort, who know all about the English language as it should be. Catching those things before that reader does might avoid a review that says-- needs more editing. Well, for the writer, those who read reviews (many choose not to do so), the question has to be what did they find that annoyed them? Maybe a split infinitive that we might often have in our speaking but woe unto the book where it's found by those distracted by that exact detail.

There are words that I often will try to find a different word to avoid because I don't want to have to look up and figure out which version is right for that sentence. There are words that I pretty much always know the correct version, but know very well that when I am talking to a friend, I might use the word wrong. They don't care and neither do I as it's not written down.

The program Grammarly is useful for some of this but with books not so much. It can only go over so much text, certainly not a book where the writer intends it to go to say 100,000 words. That requires breaking writing into sections, which is disruptive for me in terms of creative flow.

The English language is full of words that can be taken two ways but spelled the same. Working a crossword puzzle is a good reminder of that. 

So, I thought I'd mention one word that often makes me stop and think when I am using it--- and feel I must use it. Lie or Lay, present tense, and all their past tense and .future/past perfect tenses. That's where lie and lay get more complicated for which version to use. 

Add to it that lie has another meaning-- to not tell the truth. That though is easier to make into past/perfect tenses and past tense. He lied to me. I have lied. I will have lied if I go on with  this. You are lying to me. Adding an -ing makes it past simple. Confused yet? No wonder a writer sometimes chooses a different word.

In the previous paragraph I purposely used a split infinitive-- to not tell the truth... To satisfy a purist, that should be not to tell the truth. I personally don't see a difference in understandability, but I am no purist. I did also look split infinitives up, and it's not the rigid rule for grammar that some believe. That doesn't mean writers do not need to watch out for what might ruin another reader's enjoyment or even for them to lose the theme, which matters to the writer. Sometimes, to avoid that is not a minor change, and it would work against the writer's intent, but when it is minor, why not change it?

Now, let's get to the other meaning of lie and lay-- to recline or to put something down. Here is where how we talk often goes against how we need to write. I could easily say, "I am going to lay down, but would that be correct? I came across this in Thesaurus.

"Lay means “to place or put” (Lay that here). The word lay is also the past tense form of the sense of lie that means “to recline,” as in I lay in bed yesterday. Lay down can mean “to place down” (Lay down your bags), but it can also be the past tense of lie down, as in I lay down for a few hours. A nonstandard but common use of lay is to mean the same thing as the present tense of lie, as in I just want to lay in bed for a few more minutes or I laid down for a few hours. It’s best to avoid this use (and the confusion it can cause) in formal contexts." quote from Lay vs. Lie How to use correctly.

For anyone wanting more about correct usage of these words, go to that link. I've had enough going through it to last until the next time I face the issue *s*.

The app for Grammarly can be a big help, when used in editing-- not so much the first draft, in my opinion. It can really break a flow. It is also only free for the simplest version. To catch more errors of all kinds, it costs but not that much for the help it offers.

 

bad but part of life-- all of it.

 To start, I want to say that what went wrong with us is as nothing compared to other horrendous things-- especially right now, Maui. For us, it was more a string of one thing after another and the question of what might come next. Maui, the terror, lives lost, and loss of an historic town has been something I've followed all week and felt so bad for those living or vacationing there. It is part of life but not what we want to think could happen to anyone. I wrote this blog before the fires, but it is still meaningful for daily life-- usually-- and what do we do about it-- laugh or cry? Well, it's cry when it's huge, but for the rest, pick ourselves up and keep on keeping on.

********

It seems to me I read bad things go in threes. So like accidents or items breaking down. We happen to have living proof it doesn't work that way, at least for us. This has been quite a spring,summer for breakdowns and repairs.

First, I think was the pickup truck-- just past its warranty but that would not be covered anyway. This was packrat damage (the little rascals). They evidently like to chew off hoses for their nests. The why of this is beyond human logic, but it required the truck to go into the shop overnight. Fortunately, they do provide rides-- but then they got money too.

It was around then that we realized we had to get new tires for the RV before it could drive north. They can look fine but they get hard and can be a disaster on a long drive.

In late April, we saw that our beloved orange male cat was going downhill. We knew from an earlier veterinary visit and tests that he had FIV. That is no death sentence, but it does cause major health problems. When it became obvious he was in pain, we called the traveling veterinary clinic that does euthanasia in the home. She came and gently he went on his way wherever that might be. Huge loss for us though but worth the cost to have it on his own sofa.  He was buried beside our other male cat that we lost a few years earlier, both with stone markers (names to come later on them)

Then a problem that involved me climbing into the vacation trailer. Although when we last used it, I managed fine, this year-- not so much when it came to the last step, higher than the others. Ranch Boss put on his thinking cap and ordered steps that wouldn't be that high and were sturdier... Turns out they also didn't allow the screen door to close. Back to the thinking cap, while I worked on exercises designed to strengthen old legs. This does not qualify as a breakdown unless I count me. Since I turn 80 this year, I guess that's to be expected unless someone has been running marathons maybe-- then, they probably already got knee or hip replacements....

We got lucky with finding a company that could move the second vacation trailer to my brother's property-- so that was a plus. He paid half the cost of its moving as well as for all of the tires it also needed to drive north.

In the high heat Tucson has been getting, what could go wrong? Turns out our air conditioner. It kind of cooled a bit but not enough. We called a business that had helped us before and they got a new one in place two days later. Amazingly fast but not without cost. A lot of it. 

Of course, after all the wind, the pool opted to have problems with the filter. Ranch Boss took care of that one but it did require a new filter.

Next was the morning when Ranch Boss's computer quit working. This was 'way-badder' since he had not saved his recent hours of work on computing our complicated taxes, where we had filed for an extension, off to the accountant... That meant the accountant had gotten the papers but we had nothing. He tried everything he knew but we are relying on the hopeful help from an expert, as it'd be a shame to lose all that work for our home files. The guy came to the house and all important data was recovered. It's still iffy if a new computer is needed.

We found that the vent for the gas hot water heater's pipe had apparently been disconnected in replacing the A/C; that might be taken care of by the company as just an accident, but we had spent the week waiting for their supposed return. Results on that still awaiting, as is any review on their work *s*.

I didn't count having the expert remove the diamondback from our front porch. It was a cost but not a breakdown as that is just part of nature as was later having a king snake killing one of the fledgling doves. They swallow them whole, and it takes time for them to digest. I'll spare you a photo of that. That was bad for the fledgling and its mama but good for the snake.

The monsoons were late this year and finally got here into August. We have gotten a bit of rain here but more fell other places and in some cases did damage from flooding and wind. Interesting summer so far *s*

The good part about all the unexpected costs is we could afford them. Nobody relishes trouble or its costs, but it does come along-- but so much at once, one after the other?

Villains Part II-- fictional

 To start, I want to say I won't be discussing partisan political issues in this blog *fingers crossed that I can stay with that for my own sanity.* The truth is I believe people tend to live in tribal bubbles and that's probably for sanity. I'd like to do the same, but I read both sides of issues (and yes, both sides are out there). I have opinions, which I might give to a friend over coffee but won't be doing it here as I don't honestly know. It might seem momentarily satisfying to rant, but I don't think it helps me overall, nor do I believe it convinces those in bubbles (on either side). 

Writing about writing is better as I can immerse myself in a different world. Writing about nature is equally good. You won't see me writing here about family either. Those things can change on a dime. So... for those looking for partisan ranting or my daily life, this isn't a blog for them. It will stick to writing, nature, and once in a while what I see as cultural issues which can include my own health when I think sharing might be helpful. Otherwise-- onward and upward as a friend of mine used to say. *s*

 

 One of the difficulties of writing, especially character based stories, is how do we get into the heads of these characters and make what they do seem logical? It's the challenge and there are ways especially where it comes to evil characters.

 Regarding my thinking when creating a fictional villain, I have to start with two questions-- sociopath or psychopath? Is this villain also narcissistic? In other words does anyone matter but that they gain their own aims? This can prove both self damaging but intended to get what one wants at any cost. 

One of my villains began as someone selfish. He evolved eventually into what I'd regard as a psychopath, willing to hurt others at any cost. He had a point of view, which is not the norm for villains, but I wanted him not to come from nowhere but for it to make sense what he was doing. Writing the point of view of 'bad guys' isn't easy but there is a satisfying aspect to it. Remember, what they are doing, to them seems logical. How to make that show up is the challenge for a writer.

I wish I had all my books on writing here in Arizona as right now I can't give the title of the book where I read the following. It was a very successful western author. He said for the hero/heroine to overcome a villain, the villain has to seem powerful also or it's not a big deal. Making a villain seem a real challenge is the job of the author and then the hero to overcome.

Is it a bad guy or a villain is another thing to decide when writing about this clash of good and evil. There are those doing evil works but they don't seem like villains, to me; but rather just bad people. In my books, only true villains get a point of view-- something that not all authors choose. To go from being a bad guy to a villain is fun for an author to write and make it into a character study. 

One of my fictional villains was trying to cover up another crime. I wanted the reader to wonder --who was it as there were two possibilities.

Where I feel I have missed something significant is to have a villain who has mixed feelings. Generally, mine have a goal where being bad is what it takes, and they don't look back to be sure it's where they want to go.

What I basically feel is that writing villains can be fun, but the writer needs to look into why they could do such things. Most of the time with the newspaper articles on what could be called villainous acts, we rarely find the motives. Journalists look for it but the evil doers are not encouraged to reveal how they think, even when found guilty

Motives are a key in romances for the bad guys or the heroes.