Poppen's Thoughts on Writing and Stuff: Characters/Plots Are Only Part of the Process

Questions of the Week - WIN A $15 Amazon.Com Gift Certificate

In Sharon Poppen's Western Romance "Hannah', why doesn't Bennie kill Hannah?

- or -

What was the all important goal pursued by the Farrell Brothers in Sharon Poppen's novel 'After the War, Before the Peace.

The first correct answer to either question wins a signed copy of 'Hannah', a western romance and adventure tale.' Use the most recent blog 'comments' to submit your answer.

Reader Olivia Miller knew that in the novel 'Hannah' when Hannah accuses Liam of having the biggest something she has ever seen, she is referring to his appetite. Ms. Miller received a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate for the correct answer.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Characters/Plots Are Only Part of the Process

Oct. 10, 2009

Book club day. Small turnout. Only six folks showed up to discuss Luanne Rice. Overall it was agreed she is a plot and character driven author. Edna loved her book Beach Girls so much so that she ordered 3 more from her audio store and enjoyed them too. I read Dream County. It's about 500 pages and I'm only on page 260, but she hasn't really engaged me yet. I don't like any of the characters. I find them stilted and stereotyped. It seems that she opens many of her books with a killed/dying/lost child. Still, when the vote was taken, half said they'd read her again and half said no. Now, it's on to Raymond Chandler for next month.

Cindie Miller brought me a signed copy of her hot off the press new book Ask Me No Questions. It's available from Amazon. Check it out. It's a fiction based on fact story or spousal abuse. It's a page turner.

Cindie and I went to lunch and discussed the marketing of our books. She feels strongly about doing something with The Four Goddesses title that we've given our Denny's Thursday night critique group. We all had a book released this year and are looking for ways to market them. She's coming up with some great ideas and I for one am all in favor of it.

She invited me to dinner tonight for some abalone. Never having tasted it before, I jumped at the chance. It was delicious. Had a nice visit with her and her husband, Doug. He is so very supportive of her. You can see how much they adore each other just by looking in their eyes. Oh, I embarrassed myself by thinking abalone was tuna. Later, I remembered I was thinking about albacore. Duhhhh! Anyway, it was fun experiencing another first!

Need to check with Awe-Struck publishing about the schedule for Finding More Than Gold. It's supposed to come out in Jan. and I haven't seen the final galley yet. Also, it's been three months since I submitted A Meandering Road to them for consideration. I haven't received a rejection so that in itself is a good thing, I guess.

Tomorrow, Cindie and I are going to see Shakespeare in the Park. An Arizona theatrical group are going to perform Much Ado About Nothing. I've seen it several times at various places, so I'm anxious to see how they are going to cover it.

So, guess I'll leave you with a Shakespearean quote today. It is something that all of us who are serious about our writing, should remind ourselves of from time to time.

"We know what we are, but not what we may be." William Shakespeare

Story of the Week

The Art of Eating Spaghetti
By Sharon Poppen
Word count = 773

What a silly assignment from my editor. ‘The Art Of Eating Spaghetti’! Everyone knows there’s only one sensible way to eat a big plate of spaghetti, at least without making a mess of your clothes. All you need to do is cut the noodles up into bite size bits. What a foolish assignment!

However, like a good reporter, I approached the subject matter with an observational attitude. What a surprise to find the topic wasn’t at all bland and unimaginative, but truly a food safari that culminated in a treat for all five of my senses.

One of the first things I discovered was that my method of eating spaghetti was rare. Most of the people I observed used my husband’s technique. Dave takes a spoon and braces it against the bottom of his fork. He then commences to wind the noodles up into a bite size ball. Try as I might, when I follow his lead, I end up with a major portion of the noodles wrapped loosely around my fork flinging sauce in every direction.
Then, there’s the style my three-year old niece embraces.

When Melissa finds the noodles too long, and no one cuts them up for her, she uses nature’s first eating utensils, her fingers. She REALLY likes spaghetti; and when she uses her primitive utensils, she shares it with her outside as well as her inside. Often, the sauce is the same color as her copper-colored hair, which creates a situation that is both culinary and visual.

Part of the spaghetti experience is the rich, heavily seasoned sauce. Meatballs, ground meat, sausage or meatless? What a scrumptious menu of choices! In many homes it is not so much a dilemma to choose, as an honor. Combining the choice with savory items like oregano, tomatoes, onions, garlic and a plethora of additional spices is akin to a glorious quest.

Then, there’s the question of whether to add the sauce to the pasta and serve it as a complete package or to serve the pasta and the sauce separately, leaving the gourmands to mix their own concoctions. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus in this area.

Garlic bread is a must with a spaghetti dinner. After all, a plate of spaghetti is one of the few meals that not only allows for the sopping up of excess sauce; it demands it. However, there is a strange phenomena associated with garlic bread. When eating out, the bread is usually perfectly toasted, although sometimes a little soggy. While at home, it is frequently served heavily toasted with crispy edges and the hint of smoke wafting from the kitchen. Cheese may be added to the bread, but true garlic bread lovers shy away from this addition.

Speaking of cheese, TO SPRINKLE OR NOT TO SPRINKLE THE PARMESAN, is the debate over many lacy or red checked tablecloths. It’s not a problem when eating in a trattoria, but in someone’s home, one should probably forego it. Although, if you’re in the mood for drama, Italian cuisine chefs have a certain flair for the dramatic, especially when it comes to altering their creations.

One cannot discuss the art of eating spaghetti without mentioning what the correct beverage compliment should be. The advantages of Chianti, burgundy or even a blush can be debated, but white wine should be illegal on a table laden with pasta. Chianti has a major advantage in that it usually comes in a quaint little bottle that, when empty, functions as a picturesque candle holder.

It appears there is an ‘Art to Eating Spaghetti’ after all, an art that involves all of the senses. It is certainly visual, with the contrasting colors of the noodles and the sauce, the lacy or red-checkered table linen and the faces of small children. The aroma of a spaghetti meal in progress is unmistakable and undeniable. The feel of the noodles in a child’s fingers, the feel of the warm bread, and the feel of the cool wineglass give testimony to the sensation of touch. Spaghetti can even have a sense of sound. Doesn’t everyone have a family member who slurps? The eating of spaghetti seems to invariably stimulate the sounds of convivial conversation, the clinking of silverware and the tinkling of wineglasses raised in a toast. And finally, the taste! No matter where or how Spaghetti’s made, at home or in a restaurant, it never tastes exactly the same, yet it is always deliciously the same.

Eating spaghetti is indeed an art! And this was not a silly assignment, but a wonderful excursion through one of the most delectable meals on this diverse planet.

The End

Poppen's Thoughts on Writing and Stuff

Finding More Than Gold

Hannah - Available Now!

After the War, Before the Peace - Available Now!

Questions of the Week - WIN A $15 Amazon.Com Gift Certificate

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Characters/Plots Are Only Part of the Process

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