Behind The Words

Cats and Dogs

The great comedian, George Carlin, once noted that the reason humans think dogs have personalities and cats do not is because dogs have eyebrows while cats don't.  Although it is tempting to equate facial expressions with the possession of a personality, I cannot agree.  Cats have personalities and emotions.  They simply choose not to show them.

Another debate is over which is smarter, cats or dogs.  I don't know who said it, but I think it's true that you will never see eight cats pulling a sled through snow.

I Remember Patricia Neal

I was sad to hear of the passing of actress Patricia Neal (1926-2010). She was a fabulous and courageous lady whom I had the great honor of meeting once, years ago. One of the side benefits of being a published novelist is the chance to meet celebrities. A typical book and author luncheon, for example, will feature four authors: one who has written a non-fiction book; another who has written a children's book or coffee table book; a novelist; and someone (usually famous) who has written an autobiography. At these luncheons, which are usually fund raisers for charitable causes, as many as five hundred guests will come to hear a panel of authors speak, each for about twenty minutes. Over the years I have had the good fortune to attend many such events at which notable celebrities have appeared.

Making Love

The other night I was watching an old "I Love Lucy" episode, which was filmed in the 1950's, and Ethel and Fred Mertz are arguing.  Lucy comes in and says, "Don't you two ever stop fighting?"  And Ethel replies, "We're not fighting.  That's how Fred and I make love."

It sounded strange, because today the phrase "making love" refers to sexual intercourse.  When, I wondered, did the meaning change?

It reminded me of another time I had heard that phrase, and it was also from the time of the Fifties: In the beautiful and romantic 1957 film, "Sayonara," starring Marlon Brando and one of my all-time favorites.  There is a scene in which Ricardo Montalban, playing a Japanese character, says to the American leading lady, Patricia Owens, "Do not worry, Miss Webster, I am not necessarily making love to you."

My Continued Rebellion

In my last blog entry, I talked about launching a campaign to eradicate that annoying phrase: “go ahead and.” Now I must expand my rebellion against another new and pointless quirk of the English language. I was in my kitchen this morning, brewing coffee from a “pre-measured” pouch. I paused to think: What is the difference between measured and pre-measured? And then I made a sandwich out of “pre-sliced” cheese. What on earth comes before slicing? I wanted to bake some french fries to go with the sandwich, and the recipe called for “pre-heating” the oven. Isn’t that just heating the oven?

A Personal Campaign

I was at the hair dresser the other day, and as I was getting my hair cut, I overheard a conversation between a client and the receptionist that went like this: Customer: "Should I just go ahead and make my next appointment now?" Receptionist: "Let me go ahead and check the book. Okay, yes. Let's go ahead and do that." On another day, I was sitting in my car waiting to pull up to a clown face at a fast food drive-thru, and as I waited for the car in front of me to move on, I overhead this conversation between that driver and the clown face:

If Dogs Were Teachers

A friend sent me an email that contains what I believe is a very valuable lesson, and I would like to share it.  It goes like this --

If dogs were teachers, we would learn things like:
 
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
 
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
 
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
 
Take naps.
 
Stretch before rising.

Confessions Of A Golfer

Golf can be a rewarding game, it can also be a tough and frustrating game - what Mark Twain called "a nice walk ruined."  In the three months that I have been taking lessons, I have learned two keys to being a successful golfer.  But let me begin by saying that being a successful golfer has nothing to do with skill or strength or talent.  Forget about your score, your handicap, or how well you can hit the ball.  And certainly don't worry about your grip, your swing, your stance.  All you need to be really good at the game (or at least to make people think you are good at it), are these two secrets:

Computer Games

I have a confession to make.  I play computer games.

Okay, they're not the big massively multi-player online role-playing type.  In fact, there's nothing big about the two little games I indulge in.  They are arcade style, made for just one person, with no bells and whistles, just an opportunity for quiet thought and pretty graphics.  And the best thing about them is they are free!

Finding Your Inner Wolf

I recently re-read a book that I enjoyed as much the second time around as I did the first. And so I would like to share it with you. "Women Who Run With the Wolves," is written by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, a Jungian analyst who urges modern women to get in touch with their inner, intuitive selves. There is, Estes tells us, in our contemporary culture, the injunction for women to be perfect - that is, to behave, be nice, be modest, be polite. This injunction is not only nonsense, it is impossible, because to be perfect means you have to sit perfectly still and that nothing about you can ever change. To live such a life would be boring to say the least, and not at all productive.

Walking Through Stories

I went for my daily walk this morning, and as I followed the streets in my neighborhood, where it is quiet except for the call of a kestrel falcon and the bark of the Wilsons' Rottweiler, I was reminded of the heroines in my novels, who are on quests that take them on exotic roads to distant places.  I think about those ladies, whom I named Joanna and Samantha and Selene, and I imagine their journeys as they pass through towns and villages where houses and cottages and huts glow with lights from within - dwellings that are filled with the sounds of people laughing for joy, shouting in anger, wailing with grief.

Message Of the Day

I received an email today from one of my nieces in Australia, and it contains a lovely, uplifting message that I would like to share.

Remember this: every minute that you spend being angry, upset or sad, is a minute of happiness you will never get back.  Life is short.  Break the rules now and then.  Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably.  Enthusiasm is contagious.  Practice being excited and soon you will be.  Count your blessings - they are the savings account of your emotional bank and someday you can draw on them.

Earthquake

To my friends in Chile.  I was shocked and saddened by the catastrophe that befell you this weekend.  I am worried about all of you.  Please e-mail me, or post in my Guestbook, and let me know you are all right.

You are in my prayers.

Barbara

The Future Has Arrived

I had an extraordinary movie experience the other night. I went with some friends to see "Avatar," and I discovered that everything I had heard about this movie is true. The computer graphics are by far the best I have ever seen, and the 3D enhances the effect a thousand-fold. In fact, the viewer is so caught up in the story, so swept away, that he or she forgets that a weird pair of plastic glasses covers one's eyes.

At First Sight

I write about love in its many forms and what I always enjoy creating is the scene where my two main characters first meet. What are the circumstances? Is it by chance or carefully orchestrated? What is the setting, the climate? Is it crowded, noisy, quiet, romantic, terrifying? Will they love eachother or hate each other? Too many options! With this in mind, here's a poem that inspires me. 

The Age Of Aquarius

The hero of my latest novel, "The Divining," is a devout believer in divine messages from the stars, that our fate can be read in the heavens, and so he relies on daily readings of his horoscope in order to plan his day. I have never dabbled in astrology, but of course now I must do some research and as I look into this ancient and fascinating art, I am making a few interesting discoveries.

More Birdies

A year and a half ago, on May 20, 2008, I wrote a blog entry titled "Three Little Birds," about a family of hummingbirds nesting outside my window, and whom I named Maudie and the Twins.

Well, here I am again, writing about birdies.  But this time I am not referring to hummingbirds or any sort of feathered friend.  I am talking about hitting a little white ball into a hole in the ground!  You guessed it - I have taken up golf.  I figured it was about time I tried something new.  It's a great sport, I've discovered, and one that comes with its own foreign language, which I am learning rather quickly.  Everyone has heard of "par" - the number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course (the phrase "par for the course" comes from this).  But did you know that "birdie" means getting the ball into the cup by one stroke below par?  Or that "eagle" means two strokes below par?  On the other side, there are "bogey" (one over par) and "double bogey" (two over par) which brings me to …..

Three Magic Books, Part Three

Congratulations! You have already added two great books to your library - one that teaches you the tools of the English language, and one that offers motivation to get you started on putting that language to use, and to keep going once you are underway. Now for the third of the Three Magic Books - the one that will give you inspiration. And this is one book you won't have to buy!

Three Magic Books, Part Two

Okay, so you took my advice from last week's Blog and purchased William Strunk's "Elements of Style."  You've studied it and learned a few things about punctuation and syntax, and now you wish to apply these newly memorized rules to your novel.  But the problem is, how to get started - or if you have already begun to write your book, how to keep going.  As American satirist Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

Three Magic Books

A new year has begun and perhaps some of you are thinking of starting that novel you have been wanting to write (or perhaps you have already started on it but gave up half-way through, and now you want to dust it off and see if you can finish it).  I am frequently asked for advice on how to write a novel, or how to get started, and most especially, how to keep it going once you have started.  My response is usually in about five thousand sentences filled with tips, tricks, advice, warnings, examples and pep talk.  Today, I am going to make it simple and help you to get started by sharing with you the secret of Three Magic Books that will get you on your way to completing a successful novel.

The New Decade

I received an email from a friend yesterday in which she wrote, "Happy New Year and Happy New Decade!"  She then went on to enthuse, "Let's hope this decade is better than the last."  As I was framing my reply, I paused.  Was this truly the beginning of a new decade?  Wouldn't a decade start with the number One?  If you are counting, say, ten apples, you wouldn't pick up the first one and call it Zero.  So how can 2010 be the start of a new decade?  The new decade will begin a year from now, on January first, 2011.