I’m teaching a workshop on writing humor. The title is What Sheldon and Mary Teach Us About Humor. It starts Monday, October 1 and continues through October 28.
For a preview http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php?2255-What-Mary-and-Sheldon-Teach-Us-about-Writing-Humor-by-Jane-Myers-Perrine
Over and over, I’ve been told, “Write what you know.” I’ve never agreed. If authors stuck to writing what they knew, no historicals would be in print because the author wasn’t alive to witness those events. Agatha Christie would never had written her mysteries because, as far as we know, she never killed anyone.
I wrote two historicals that took place in Regency England in 1812 and another that took place in Texas 120 years ago. Had to do a lot of research to do that.
Then I started writing the Tales from Butternut Creek series and realized I was writing exactly what I knew: a minister in a small town church. The Palm 
Sunday donkey running away with his rider? I was one of the group that grabbed the animal before he could toss the boy off. A minister’s fear of counseling a member of the congregation? Been there and survived and the woman I counseled did as well. The group of women who run the church? I’ve met them in every church either my husband or I have served and readers tell me they know a Miss Birdie. All the stories, all the embarrassing and funny situations we lived came together in these books and I’ve had such a great time writing them.
Sometimes the memories make me laugh. But members of a congregation suffer, too, and I cried with them. Those hard times made the books, too.
Of course, I didn’t live through or actually witness everything I wrote. We never lived in a huge Victorian parsonage but I’ve always wanted to—if I didn’t have to do the housework. And I expanded on some of the scenes. In Butternut Creek, the donkey took off down the highway with the kid hanging on his back. In reality, he 
ran only ten yards although I imagine the boy riding him thought it last far longer.
Have you had an experience you think should be in a book? I’d love for you to share.
I gr
ew up with Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Rabbit and his friends and relations. When I was sick, my mother used to read the stories to me, changing the name of Christopher Robin to Monica Jane (my real and legal names). My younger sister even put, “How sweet to be a cloud” to music she made up. I can still sing it. In high school, I had a friend who used to quote Milne’s poem, “Now I am six and . . .” while George loves the poem which begins, “King John was not a good man. . .”
The Winnie-the-Pooh stories even influenced my writing. In The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek, Charley the plumber gets stuck in a cabinet in the same way Pooh bear did in the hole to Rabbit’s house. Adam thinks he may have to starve Charley until he’s thin enough to pull himself out–as Rabbit had to do with that silly bear. However, I didn’t allow Adam to hang his wash on Charley’s legs.
The original illustrations are wonderful, line drawings which suggest and define the characters. Children who grew up on the Disney version have missed out on the delight of the E.H. Shepard drawings. Here’s a link so you can appreciate them. http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/11/original-winnie-pooh-drawings.html
I’m writing this because a friend on Facebook posted that the house on Pooh corner is for sale, the one where A.A. Milne wrote the books and Christopher Robin came down the stairs with his bear bumping down behind him. I emailed the information to my husband. He says we can’t buy the house but that doesn’t matter. I love the memories this news evoked and it is a little above our price range. However, if you’re interested, here’s the link. Click here: Savills UK | Cotchford Lane, Hartfield, East Sussex, TN7 4DN | Property for sale
Did you read Winnie-the-Pooh when you were young? Or even when you were old? What memories do you have?
A guest blogger joins us today: my husband George. He’s here to share the highs and lows of living with a writer. He may exaggerate a little.
My favorite author and dearly beloved wife of 46 years announced yesterday, “I finished the book,” I knew several things. One, she is still nowhere near her deadline; Jane is a twit who used to do her homework on Friday afternoon. Two, she is entering the Draft Phase (it could be called Rewrite Time) during which she will do four (or more) complete rewrites of said book. And three, I’m going to see a lot more of her for a while.
Five years ago we retired to a three bedroom, two bath apartment, and you would think we would see a lot of each other. But we communicate largely through email and intercom from my study to hers because this is really a one bedroom, two study, two bath apartment. In Draft Phase, however, Jane will use the Editing Chair, and it is in the living room so I will have 
to actually see her physical presence from time to time.
The Editing Chair. Jane has lower back problems (Duh! She’s a writer!) But she is also horribly cheap, after years of her pain I convinced her that a good chair, although expensive, would be worth it. And we bought a Scandinavian objet d’art that is the most comfortable thing ever sat upon and has table attached which holds the draft copy at a perfect height. With its ottoman and its kitty furniture and red pen table next to it, this whole configuration occupies most of one end of our living room.
Her Cheapness also allowed me to buy her a laser printer a few years ago because it prints so quickly, but I know she still uses the ink-jet printer because she believes it is cheaper. And she will run a complete draft of the book, three-hole punch it, and place it in a binder. The electric hole puncher keeps me out of the loop at this point. This used to be my odious duty because Jane insists on reusing her paper for different drafts and it was really really hard to keep the drafts straight.
So picture the great author: in her nightie, feet up on the ottoman, back comfortable in her big chair, cat on its stand providing a Muse, binder on the table, red pen in hand—she’s editing up a storm as long as she doesn’t have to go potty. It’s nearly impossible to get out of that chair!
Ginny Aiken has written more books than I can count. On top of that, she’s written all kinds of books: short and long, humorous and wrenchingly moving as well as filled with suspense. She amazes me because at any length or any depth of emotion, whatever she writes is terrific.
Her first book in the THE WOMEN OF HOPE series, For Such a Time as This, was released Tuesday. In her books in this series, Ginny takes a story from the Bible and set it in more modern times. For Such a Time as This takes place in Oregon in the year 1879. My favorite books by Ginny have always been the short, humorous ones. so I approached this novel with some misgiving which turned out to be misplaced. This longer and deeply touching novel fascinated me and it also had Ginny’s trademark humor sprinkled throughout.
The setting of the small town is beautifully described with historical details that made me feel as if I, too, were in Bountiful, experiencing the struggle of the farmers against drought and insects. The characters are artfully and clearly drawn. I loved Olivia’s rambunctious family and the children she cares for as well. Elijah and Olivia come across as strong but flawed, often stubborn but loving people. They grow, both as people and together as husband and wife although they can’t admit that–until the twist that tests them but not Olivia’s faith.
I look forward to the next novels in this series.
I hate using sports as a metaphor for life: it’s too easy and too cliched. On the other hand, I love sports, watch every minute of the Olympics I can find, buy packages for our cable service for college basketball, watch live events on my computer. Many years ago, before we could get University of Louisville basketball games on cable, my husband and I drove around Big Spring, Texas, searching for the clear channel coverage from nearly two-thousand miles away.
So, I rationalize. I do NOT use sports as metaphors for life. I use sports as EXAMPLES of just about anything.
For example: Last year, when American gymnast Sam Mikulak dismounted from a routine, he hit the mat so hard he broke both ankles. This year, he competed
for and made the US Olympic team. That is PASSION! He must love gymnastics and competition to return to the sport which caused him such pain and months of rehab. On top of that, his ankles never had time to completely recover so there’s always pain, always the chance his ankle will go out.
Is there anything you love that much? Not me. Two broken ankles and I’m pretty much over that. Actually, a sprain would discourage me.
Well, that’s not completely true. I love to write. Because of scoliosis, sitting at a desk can be painful. I prop myself up on a pillow in a comfortable chair and have a jerry rigged foot rest–a pillow on top of a box–to lift my feet. Recently we purchased a wonderfully comfortable and supporting reclining chair with ottoman where I edit. Due to carpal tunnel, I have an ergonomic keyboard, a mouse pad with a soft cushion for my wrist, and a couple of wrist braces. And still I hurt but I 
have to write! I tell people I write so I don’t have to clean the oven and that’s partly true. I have no passion for wiping down counters or vacuuming but I do for writing.
What is your passion? What do you love to do more than anything else?
A
lthough many readers have told me they know the real Miss Birdie, one of the main characters in the Butternut Creek series, they’re wrong. She was inspired by many women in various churches from Kentucky to Texas and many states in between. I believe nearly every church has one. 
Do YOU know a Miss Birdie? If you do, please tell me about her. What are the identifying characteristics of a Miss Birdie?
At heart, I’m a shy, timid soul. Some of my friends–possibly every one of them–will not believe this; however, I’ve always had trouble asking people to do something for me. One example of many: when I was a Brownie, I could not sell Girl Scout cookies. The thought of going up to a neighbor’s door and asking them to buy a box terrified me. Fortunately, my family liked cookies because we had dozens during that time of year.
And, yet, I find promoting my books very easy. I think I may be able to play a part: AUTHOR. As author, I have no trouble handing out bookmarks to people I’ve never met, entering bookstores and introducing myself to staff, asking if I could blog on a site, or making any number of pushy requests.
But I believe I did my most shameless bit of self-promotion a week ago. As I’ve written, June 18th I had surgery on my droopy eyelids. As the gurney I was on was shoved into pre-op, I promoted my latest book to the anesthesiologist. She seemed very interested. Only wish I’d tucked a few bookmarks in the pockets of my hopsital gown.
Can anyone top this? (And please forgive any typoes. I still cannot see well!)
Because I know not all readers of this blog are writers–most of you aren’t quite crazy enough to put yourself through such torture–I haven’t talked about the “HOW” of writing. Starting the first Tuesday of every month, I’ll add information on various topics having to do with craft. I’ll start with “How to Write a Perfect Query Letter” and will stick with that for a few months or until I’m finished. After that, I’m open to suggestions. Do you have an writing questions/problems/frustrations you’d like me to address?
I will call this–not surprisingly–CRAFT TUESDAY.
The first section of writing a perfect query letter will be June 5. Hope you’ll drop by, learn something, and leave a comment or question.
My big, handsome, fuzzy boy cat Scooter is not happy with me. He’s had a bad stomach this morning so I hid his food. He’s sure that it he meows and prances ahead of me to the food place in my study, I’ll feed him because, after all, that’s what I’m for. That’s what I do—whatever Mr. Scooter wants.
Have you ever TRIED to explain to a pet WHY you’re doing something? Cause (bad tummy) and effect (no food bowl) aren’t their strong points.
As a writer, I know too well about problems with cause and effect. A writer has to use very careful motivation. If a cat is sick and wants food but the owner gives him none, there is conflict. If a man is sick and the heroine gives him ice chips instead of the steak he wants, there is conflict. If a villain wants whatever the heroine has and she refuses to give it to him, conflict.
In the very first book I attempted, I loved my characters so much that I didn’t want to make them unhappy. Hence, no conflict. The book was short and dull. A writer lives on cause and effect which leads to conflict. We may not like it in our “real” lives, but we love to put our characters through agony, to give them every conceivable—and inconceivable—hardship and twist we can. We torture our characters to make the book interesting, to draw the reader in because a book without conflict is a short book.
And it’s so much fun to make or characters suffer! Writers have great power over life and death and happiness—at least in our books.
Excuse me. Scooter wants my attention again. He meows and I leap to my feet: cause and effect. I’ll pet him but he’s not getting food: conflict.
Oh, and about that “teaching a cat patience”? Can’t be done.