words

Words from Paris

January 16, 2015 By Karen A. Chase

In support of my dear Parisians, I repost this excerpt from my book Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log. I am so proud of the 1.6 million+ people in Paris (and the other millions across France and the world) who marched in solidarity for a better world. Hand-in-hand, in the largest demonstration in French history, they reminded me of what I felt visiting the Eiffel Tower a few years ago…

The view from the Wall of Peace, looking through the glass partitions that surround it. The glass is etched with signs of peace in forty-nine languages and eighteen alphabets.

Eiffel Tower } Day 10 ~ April 30

Tourists abound in Paris. And in no other place are they (we) more prolific than around the Eiffel Tower. It’s a national landmark, built in honor of the World’s Fair held here in 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. Websites, guidebooks, tours, and the museum near the top of the tower provide all of the facts and details surrounding it, but it is the feeling of the whole area that left a greater impression upon me.

Under the shadow of that sculpture and the trees, upon the green grass, I sat with families of various nationalities, generations, and genders playing and picnicking with their children. Couples napped together holding hands, making me miss Ted. Dogs romped and played. I helped take photos for strangers so they could be together in their photo (one of my favorite things to do on vacation), and a smiling couple helped take one of me. Some people sat quietly alone just taking it all in.

Approximately 7 million visitors come here each year, and it’s impossible to count how many countries could be represented at any given moment. At the foot of the tower is a newer monument built in 2000 called the Wall for Peace, which was inspired by the Wailing Wall. People can insert messages of peace into the chinks in the wall. After they do, many walk the distance to the tower, across the lawn of the Parc du Champs de Mars. If they stop, even for an instant, and simply look around them, they will see something remarkable.

They will see what I saw: Their wish has come true. For all walks of life are there together. Just being. At peace. Together.

Reading Slowly in 2015

January 9, 2015 By Karen A. Chase

Hello again. It’s been a while since I’ve been in here, as I’ve been revising my manuscript. While I’ll still be wearing my editing coat, I’ve missed all you. So, my readers, I’m weaving back in.

This week, let’s stitch together all three of my blog’s topics–reading, writing and research. Like many of you, I have a pile of books I want to read.

My first instinct is to cut to it and rip through them. You’ve done it, too, I bet. Our society is now used to tweets and blog posts. Short. Fast. Sometimes we bolt through a book and proudly declare to our friends, “It was so good I read it in one day.”

Yes, but what did you miss?

I recently began a book called Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. (Yes, that’s her real name.) She discusses the importance of reading carefully. Thoughtfully. Close.

Given how much care writers give to finding the right word, wouldn’t it be nice to take equal time to read them? (Note my use of give and take.) If done well, this selectiveness adds texture. Layers. Warmth. If you read back in this blog post for instance, you’ll find I chose many words relating to fabric. That’s intentional. Books are woven together like a fine cloth.

If you’re reading too quickly, you might be missing a subtly that will provide a more enjoyable, more meaningful read. As this article on slow reading in the Washington Post states, “it’s about pleasure more than efficiency.” I think I’ll try that on this year.

On my reading list this year (delightfully) are friends whose books deserve attention:

Mary Chris Escobar’s How to Be Alive
Jon Sealy’s The Whiskey Barron
Beth Macy’s Factory Man
Ann Westrick’s Brotherhood

What are you reading?

Sign up for my blog on the right, and watch for changes and more author news soon. Happy New Year.

Guest Post: Susann Cokal

September 12, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

Another author joins me today as part of a week-long shout-out about the James River Writers Conference this coming October 17-19th in Richmond. Susann Cokal is also a member of our JRW organization. Her newest book, The Kingdom of Little Wounds, is set in the Scandinavian Renaissance. She’ll be a speaker at our conference and happily answered a couple questions about her writing process.

Do stories find you, or do you go in search of them?
I’m always in search of a story—or at least I let the gods of story know that I’m open. I think ideas find me because they know I’ll give them a loving home. Sometimes an agonized one, of course; writing is a series of ups and downs as I often doubt I’ll be able to match the ideal that first glimmered in my mind.

The idea for my latest novel, The Kingdom of Little Wounds, came to me about eighteen years ago. A sentence sprang up: “The children in the royal nursery were sick.” That was the tip of a big concept—the kingdom might easily dissolve into chaos if the king dies with no healthy heir. I’d already read for pleasure about Renaissance kings and queens and commoners; of course, I needed to do more specific research in order to write about Renaissance courts, seamstresses, slavery, food, fashion, astronomy, medicine, and so on.

I try to have a nice chat with each of my favorite ideas every day. I wrote two other novels before beginning The Kingdom. I didn’t know the third novel would take as many years as my first, but there’s no predicting the course of art. Especially when a lot of writing energy has to go to my job; I teach at VCU, so I’m commenting on fiction-in-progress every day. Time and confidence, the confidence that I can bring a project to the end—those precious entities come in spurts.

What has attending the JRW conference done for you?
At the JRW conference, the air crackles with energy. The conversations and panels breed a lot of ideas and hope. This year, like every year, I look forward to sharing encouragement and enthusiasm.

You can read a review of Susann’s book from the New York Times Book Review. Or visit her website for all things bookish.

Guest Post: Mary Chris Escobar

September 5, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

Today, my fair readers, I am happy to introduce Mary Chris Escobar. A friend and author, Mary Chris and I frequently dish about books, writing and well… dishes. We discuss what we eat. Where we eat. We’ve even cooked together. She graciously drops by the blog today to offer her take on Books and Food:

BOOKS & FOOD by Mary Chris Escobar

My books make people hungry. Not metaphorically hungry as in, “I can’t wait to devour the next novel”; physically hungry as in, “She has an amazing ability to make ME hungry when her characters are enjoying nachos.” Really, that is an actual quote from a review. At least one review for each of my books indicates that it made the reader want to eat something.

The strange thing is, I have no idea how this happens. In all my stories there are scenes where food is mentioned, but not described with the sort of detail I would assume is required to make someone hungry. For example, here is a line about making lasagna from my most recent novel, How to be Alive: “My whole apartment smelled like tomatoes and garlic.” The scene continues with the characters catching up over dinner, but no additional details are given about the lasagna.

My characters frequently meet in restaurants or over home-cooked meals. It’s a natural place for conversation and connection. Perhaps my readers get hungry because they feel drawn into the scene and want to share food with the characters. Perhaps they are hungry when they sit down to read, and just don’t realize it until I mention nachos.

No matter the reason, it is the highest compliment for a writer to know that their words have affected the reader in some way. Therefore, I feel honored to know that I can make my readers’ stomachs growl.

(Just in case you want lasagna after reading this, here is one of my favorite recipes.)

Mary Chris writes women’s fiction. Her second novel, How to be Alive, came out in late June. She lives in Richmond, Virginia in a renovated parking garage with her husband, and you can find her just about anywhere with good coffee or craft beer. Find her at marychrisescobar.com. She also hangs out on Twitter @marychris_e

Two Words

August 15, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

There were a couple things that I was inspired to seek out in this life because of two legends.

Laughter: The ability to see the absurdity of life and laugh anyway.
Love: A connection with one other that was mesmerizingly ours.

Gratefully I found both.
Thank you and goodnight, Lauren and Robin.

RobinLaughs — Photo: Ron Galella, Getty Images

August 8, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

As I go forth into a writing career, I have decided to change up my blog a bit. Until now, it has been about Design, Photography and Writing–the three things I did somewhat equally with my time. Now, with my head either on the page, in a book, or in a library, Compositions will become about Writing, Reading and Research.

In the world of a writer these elements gather to create a composition. Readers and writers bring their own thoughts and expression to how stories are made, and research delves into how history shapes those perceptions. Here at Compositions I’ll share stories, writing tips and thoughts, and historic adventures. All at or around 250 words per post.

So as I begin again, let’s start with words. I recently watched this Ted Talk on What Makes a Word “Real”? It speaks to how/why words are added to our English language dictionaries and how our view of words has changed. Boy has it.

“Troll” was hanging out under bridges, warts and all. Now it means to “surf” the internet. Surf, not stream. “Streaming.” To have shows running on your computer while you eat Spam. Or delete spam. I say this with abandon. Although “abandon” in the 14th century meant to subdue. I’d say it sounds awful that so much has changed, but “awful” in the 13th century meant “inspiring wonder.”

What words have changed meaning for you? If you could add one word to the dictionary, what would it be?

Men’s Fiction Part III (of III): Why we (all) should read it

July 11, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

I’m back for a final chat about men’s fiction with West Coast Don of MenReadingBooks.

Karen: It’s discussed on the website, The Art of Manliness, why men should read fiction. Another article from a couple years ago speculated why men weren’t reading novels anymore. Why should we, men and women, read men’s fiction? For compassion? For understanding? Why do you read fiction?

Don: It’s different for everyone. I really do read for fun. Given that I deal in real life human trauma, both emotional and the emotional impact of big physical traumas, I like stories in which there is usually a favorable outcome and where there is less ambiguity than in real life. “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy, was both unfavorable and ambiguous.

Karen: I know for me, some of the men’s fiction allows me a true escape into another life. They’re adventurous. Wilbur Smith and his tales of South Africa and elephant hunts for instance.
Don: It is the vicarious thrill of adventure, and yet these stories–this men’s fiction–can still include human drama.

Karen: In the end, regardless of genre, male or female-focused, what is it we all hope to find in well-written fiction?
Don: Real life stories. I know I’m constantly drawn to them. I think, in the end, we all like to hear and read real human stories.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you missed our earlier discussions you can find Part I here, and Part II here.

If you’d like a comprehensive list of men’s fiction to read, The Art Of Manliness has that, as of course does MenReadingBooks. Please share your favorite titles, new and old that have been your best adventure stories in my comments below.

My favorite titles, written by men or women, include the following. I include them because of their history, great writing or context, and their ability to inform not only my intellect by my character. Are they men’s fiction? Perhaps. (Just not when I read them.)

The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway
The Courtney series by Wilbur Smith
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Laguna by Barbara Kingsolver
The Spanish Bow by Andromeda Romano-Lax
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
Sacré Bleu by Christopher Moore
Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Shogun by James Clavell
The Odyssey by Homer
(Yes, I’ve actually read both of those last two. All. Of. The. Pages. Whew!)

Men’s Fiction Part II (of III): What makes it great?

July 3, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

I’m back with West Coast Don of MenReadingBooks to continue our discussion of men’s fiction. Like all genres and books, there is good fiction, and there is bad.

Karen: What makes great men’s fiction great?
Don: The same as all fiction. I think it comes down to three things. Plot. Character development. Quality of the writing. If the author doesn’t handle those well, it’s weak.

Karen: If those apply to all fiction, what makes it great men’s fiction?
Don: I think with the third point–quality of writing–male authors focus on combining the right amount of complexity and timing. Too many twist and turns in the plot, and it’s a soap opera. The timing refers to when I’m fed information. I want details, but facts and background have to come at the right moment for the reader.

Karen: Does that mean that men’s fiction is fact-based or can it be literary?
Don: Definitely it can be simply literary. Ken Bruen is an amazing example. He writes crime set in Ireland in his Jack Taylor series. Great plot but his writing is so good. Again it goes back to quality, and reading him is a very literary experience. It’s prose. He doesn’t try to impress with vocabulary, but it’s not too elementary.

Next week, in the final Part III, we’ll chat about why men (and women) should read more fiction. If you missed it, here’s Part I of this series on what male fiction is and isn’t.

Readers: Is men’s fiction on your reading this summer? Who are some of your favorite male authors and why?

Men’s Fiction Part I (of III): What it is and isn’t

June 27, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

Two factors recently made me wonder if fiction could be categorized into male and female.

First, two weeks ago James Franco’s summer reading list came out and he received some flack because it was almost entirely male authors. Second, based on a couple agent rejections, I’m worried how my historical fiction is being viewed–both as a female author and because of a male protagonist. Historical novels authored by women often have female leads and are targeted toward female readers. (Like The Other Boleyn Girl.) They are often represented by agents who also handle romance, not military non-fiction. In reality, my novel has more battles than bodice-ripping (think, Jeff Shaara), but would that alone make it male-focused fiction?

I am clearly not a dude. So in an effort to explore the topic, I spoke with Don Houts of the blog MenReadingBooks. In this three-part blog series, “West Coast Don” and I will talk about:
I: What men’s fiction is and isn’t.
II: What makes it great.
III: Why we (all) should read it.

MEN’S FICTION PART I: WHAT IT IS AND ISN’T

Karen: So, what would you consider men’s fiction?
Don: It’s easier to define what it’s not. It isn’t overly detailed about relationship stuff. That’s not to say it doesn’t include it, like in Kathryn Stockart’s The Help. But drilling down on relationships just isn’t the focus. Her story primarily captured the human experience of racism from different perspectives.

Karen: She is one of a handful of female authors included in a very long-list of male authors on your site.
Don: I would guess close to 90% of books that appeal to men, are written by men. But women like Louise Penny are in there. She’s an example of how women don’t need to write like they think a man would write in order to appeal to men. She has a feminine touch, yet she doesn’t try too hard. Her fiction is not brutal or grisly. Even male authors can overdo that.

Karen: Colleen McCullough with her factual-fiction about Julius Caesar might be considered male-fiction. Is that partly because of the genre? Or is it her historically accurate details?
Don: Often male fiction is historical. Or it’s crime. Thrillers. War. Some mystery. But again, it’s about the content. It’s about how artfully the amount of detail is handled. Academic books are often too dense. It doesn’t always have to, but men’s fiction tends to inform like non-fiction. Dan Brown is a good example of fiction that includes a large volume of data, but in a way that’s compelling.

Next week in Part II, Don and I will discuss what makes men’s fiction great.

In the meantime, readers, do you read what you would consider to be male fiction? If so, why do you think it’s male fiction? Or is there a distinction to you?

Editor Master

April 24, 2014 By Karen A. Chase

Last time on Compositions, I wrote about searching for a new editor. After I queried several developmental editors, it became clear that my novel didn’t need massive plot and character work. So I ended up selecting a woman from right here in Richmond to help me line edit and clean it up a bit. Kris Spisak of K.S. Writing, who edits at all levels, agreed to work on the book with me from a copyedit standpoint. I must brag about her here, even at the risk of her becoming so busy she won’t have time for me either.

What I got back from Kris was gloriously beyond simple punctuation and grammar remarks. She gave thoughtful suggestions on word choices for specific characters. She highlighted where to insert “show-don’t-tell.” (Sometimes I failed to show someone’s jaw clenching, and merely said they were angry.) She pointed out where I used clichés instead of my unique voice, and where I repeated phrases unecessarily. She wrote in comments like “cool” or “well done” when I did things right, so I could also learn from my own good work. It is nothing short of a mini masters class in creative writing.

Because of her new edits, and the polishing required on the rest of the manuscript, Compositions will quiet for a few weeks. I have serious work to do, and in the end I want to show you the novel rather than just tell you about it.

In the meantime, if you’re in the Richmond area and want to attend an actual masters writing class, there is one in my neighborhood. Sign up with James River Writers online and the event is tomorrow (Friday).