Tag: authors

On Life

Bridges of Madison County Author Dies: A Tribute

Steph's Scribe

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The year was 1992. I picked up a copy of best-selling author Robert James Waller’s The Bridges of Madison County and couldn’t put it down. I knew it was a love story, and I was riveted. Like many other readers, I was intrigued by Francesca and Robert Kincaid’s 4-day, intense love story set among the landscape of rural farmland in Iowa. Kincaid is a photographer, out to shoot the covered bridges in the area; Francesca is an Italian war-bride whose husband and two children go off to the state fair for the weekend. When Kincaid stops to ask Francesca for directions, a whirlwind affair begins that changes forever the lives of these two souls.

Image result for covered bridges featured in bridges of madison county

While literary snobs panned this novel, claiming, as the New York Times writes, that the characters were “unconvincing, the sentiments sappy and the writing overripe,” I found the novel charming, sad, relatable, and refreshing. It’s a stark reminder of the choices we make in life and why we make them, despite the overwhelming passions we may feel.

Waller’s ability to paint Francesca as a dutiful wife and mother with a deep-seeded passion, along with his depiction of Kincaid’s tough-guy image with a soft and endearing heart, are at the forefront of his writing. The tenderness that ensues makes you both like the characters and feel sorry for them all the way to the end when you understand Francesca’s request she makes to her own children when they learn the truth.

Another reason why I regard this book so fondly is because I was nearing the end of earning my first master’s degree in professional writing and was taking a class in writing short fiction. Waller’s style is one I admired and tried to imitate; he may have written in dramatic fashion, but he knew how to tug at a reader’s emotions. He is definitely someone who influenced me as a writer.

Waller was 52 when he wrote The Bridges of Madison County, yet another reason to admire the man. After years as a business professor, he got the idea of the story after visiting the covered bridges in Iowa and, as a musician who had written a song about a woman named Francesca, brought the two notions together into his novel. The rest, they say, is history.

The Bridges of Madison County was a best-seller for three years, outselling Gone with the Wind. Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the film version along with Meryl Streep in 1995. Mr. Waller died on March 10 at the age of 77 of multiple myeloma.


15781589_865992106837911_1585157622209528074_nStephanie Verni is Professor of Business Communication at Stevenson University and is the author of the newly released Inn Significant, Baseball Girl, and Beneath the Mimosa Tree.  Along with her colleagues Leeanne Bell McManus and Chip Rouse, she is a co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice, published by Kendall-Hunt.  To visit Stephanie’s Amazon Author page and see her books, click here.

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On Life

What It Feels Like to Finish Writing a Novel

Steph's Scribe

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Well, friends, I’m coming down the home stretch. By next week, my novel will be written, if it does not happen sooner than that. People have asked me this question: what does it feel like to finish a novel?

As this will be the third one I have published, it feels a little like saying goodbye.

What I mean by that is you live and breathe the characters and their situations for so long, that when you’re done writing their story, their story is over, and you have to say farewell.

The creative process of actually building and telling the story is my absolute favorite part of novel writing. Rewriting, reworking, and all the marketing are certainly not my favorite aspects. As you develop your work of fiction, you are permitted to live vicariously through your characters and the plot; you imagine their paths, conversations, and hardships, and you allow them to develop and change for your reader. There is never a point in my writing when I don’t think about the reader. The reader is always at the forefront of my mind with regard to this craft. I never want to disappoint, and if I do, I promise you, it is not intentional.

As I begin to write the final two chapters of this book, knowing full well how it will proceed and how it will end, a sense of melancholy comes along with it.

I’m still on track for a September delivery, and I intend to keep my promise.

And so, in the end, when people ask me what it feels like to finish a novel, I can only respond this way: it feels as if another part of you is set free, which is wonderful, but it also feels a great deal like saying goodbye to something you love.

xx |

signatureStephanie Verni is the author of Baseball Girl, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, and the co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice.

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On Life

Books That Make You Cry

Steph's Scribe

220px-'Me_Before_You'About two months ago, on a nice day in March, I sat on my back porch and cried my eyes out as I finished Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. My friend, Shawna, and I were talking about both the novel and the upcoming movie on Saturday at the pool. She hated feeling so sad at the end of the story, and I didn’t mind it; she also doesn’t want to see the movie, and I get that. It is terribly tragic, but it’s also so touching. I’m ready to face it in the theatre with a box of Kleenex. I’ve been waiting a couple of months to see how it transitions from book to film, one of my favorite pastimes.

This got me thinking about the different books that have made me cry over the years. Another particular book that caused waterworks was Dickens’s classic Great Expectations. I remembered reading it as a high school student, and it had little affect on me emotionally. As an grown up with two small kids who was pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing, I read it again in my forties for my class. That one, I finished on the porch or our former home in Ellicott City, again, tears streaming down my face as I finished it. What a different perspective I had with regard to Great Expectations as an adult than I had as a teenager. I highly recommend reading it for pleasure if you don’t remember it well. Also, Dickens always manages to make me cry with A Christmas Carol, a novel I’ve written about many times before on Steph’s Scribe.

Mitch Albom, no matter what book he writes, typically has the power to make me cry. Whether it’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Tuesdays with Morrie, or Have a Little Faith, I find his stories sentimental and often tear-jerking, with profound lessons in between the lines.

markus zusak holding The Book ThiefI can’t even think about The Book Thief without getting goosebumps. I loved every page, every word, every ounce of creativity Markus Zusak put into that book. He’s inspired me to be a better writer and to write the way your gut tells you to write. The Book Thief is one of my favorite books ever. Tears and all.

Another book that had me crying on the beach–only this time they were tears of laughter–was Jill Davis’s book Girls’ Poker Night. My family watched as I went into hysterics, laughing uncontrollably at this hilarious book. Jill Davis’s sense of humor is right up my alley, and I giggled the whole way through it.

513JVTZT07L._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_Also, if you’re looking for sentimental books to read with your kids, I highly recommend Kate DiCamillo. Two of my favorites by her are The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Magician’s Elephant. During that mega snowstorm in 2010, my kids and I read The Magician’s Elephant curled up together in bed. I was reading aloud when I got to a part that choked me up. My daughter reached over, grabbed my arm, and said, “Mommy, I can read for a little bit if you want.” Bless her heart. She was so little then, but she understood that it was sentimental and touching.

On the flip side, as a writer, I’ve had quite a few readers of Baseball Girl, my most recent novel, tell me that they got a little choked up and even shed a tear while reading it. I’m glad to hear that it had that affect, because I meant it for it to delve into that deep love people have for their fathers, and I used the relationship of Francesca and her dad to illustrate the power of that type of love.

BaseballGirlwTypewriter

For a list of some of my favorite books, click here to visit the page BOOKS I’VE ENJOYED, and don’t forget to tell me what you’ve enjoyed reading, whether they’ve caused tears or not.

xx |

signatureStephanie Verni is the author of Baseball Girl, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, and the co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice

 

On Life

A Good Book Will Never Let You Down

Steph's Scribe

theshoemaker'swifeI’m about to finish Adriana Trigiani’s touching and inspiring novel entitled The Shoemaker’s Wife. I’ve enjoyed reading this sweeping story of Italian immigrants loosely based on the history of the author’s own grandparents. From the mountains of the Italian Alps to New York City to a small town in Minnesota, the characters and sights covered in this novel will allow you to become a part of a different time and place when the world was a different place, America was growing, and World War I loomed. The truth of the matter is this: a good book will never let you down.

As I’ve become older, wiser, and more finicky about how I spend my free time, I find getting lost in a good book some of the best therapy around. My knowledge about various topics has grown immensely by reading the works of others, and I don’t just mean as a writer. Sure, as a writer, we learn things from other writers such as technique, style, tone, and scope of work, but we also learn about people, places, and things.

Reading allows us to be entertained, to escape, and to challenge ourselves. It requires us to tap into our own imaginations as we read the words the writer put on the page. I keep trying to tell my students to pick up some of the classics that they might otherwise not read because they think the work may be too difficult. However, upon closer inspection, my students have found Dickens and Austen fun to read. They tell me they are glad I pushed them to pick up a book they may not have chosen for themselves.

When you spend time with a good book, it becomes etched in your mind. You may not remember every detail of it or all the things that happened along the way after you are through, but you will be left with an impression, insight, and new information that you did not have prior to making the commitment to it.

When I find an author I love, I try to read everything she or he has written; however, the worst part comes when you realize that you HAVE read all that he or she has written and start to twiddle your thumbs until the next one is released. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is this: a good book is one to cherish and love, recommend, and encourage others to read.

I am probably going to cry when I finish The Shoemaker’s Wife. It will be as if I am saying farewell to my own Italian family as I kiss them goodbye.

Schilpario Italy
Schilpario, Italy. One of the settings in The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani.  Photo credit: sell-arts.com
NYC_During_World_War_One
New York City during World War I. Photo credit: oldmagazinearticles.com. Ciro, one of the characters in the novel, leaves his NYC to become a soldier.

 

 

 

On Life

Suggestions for Helping Kids (and Adults) Enjoy Reading

Steph's Scribe

booksI’ve been teaching now since 1993 when I instructed that first course in public speaking. Over the years, I’ve moved from teaching public speaking into teaching writing and other communication courses. Over this period of time, I’ve noticed a dramatic drop in the amount of outside reading done by students (I’ve also noticed, as have my colleagues, that textbook reading has decreased as well, as too many students rely on the course Powerpoints). Admittedly, we have a lot of distractions today—cell phones, social media, cable television, sports and social commitments, and family life—all of which contribute to having less time to “sit down and enjoy a good book.”

A recent study by Carnegie Mellon University found that reading lights up brain activity because it asks readers to put ourselves in the shoes of our characters, which, in turn, tends to make us more empathic people. Being able to understand how others may feel is at the core of reading; we learn to understand and ask questions, and this process allows us to learn more about ourselves as people. Would we do the same thing as that character? Would we have acted in that manner? As we read, we wonder…we are curious…and that exercise leads to being a person who can empathize with others.

The bottom line: it’s important to read. And it’s important to get our younger kids and students, reading, as well.

When I asked my feature writing students why they don’t read outside of class, one answer was because there was difficulty finding anything to read of value. Another answer was that there just isn’t time for it. And yet another was a lack of enjoyment that comes from it.

So, how can we, as parents and teachers, foster a love of reading with our children and students and with others in our lives? I have a few suggestions that may help as we move forward to tackle this meaningful endeavor.

  1. READ ALONG WITH YOUR CHILD/STUDENT — With younger kids and students, a good idea is to read along with them. This does not necessarily mean you must sit and read the books out loud with them (although with the little ones, this is imperative). It suggests that you read the same book the student is reading, almost as one does in a book club, which would enable you to have discussions about the book with your child. I did this last year with my son; we both read Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, and we had wonderful discussions about Nazi Germany, the main characters, death as the narrator, and more. This tactic works well and it opens all of us up to reading a variety of stories that we may not otherwise have read.
  2. SET AN EXAMPLE — Instead of turning on the television at night, curl up on the sofa with a good book. Fall is coming, and it’s a good time to decompress and read some of those novels or professional guidance books you’ve wanted to read. Demonstrating a love of reading yourself will set a positive example for your children.
  3. SELECT A BOOK THAT IS ALSO A MOVIE — One thing children and students love to do is to draw comparisons. Let them read the book, and then promise them that you’ll see the movie or get it OnDemand or from Red Box. Being able to see differences in the work (from book to film) engages students and allows them to think critically and analyze both works. This is also fun to do with book clubs.
  4. FIND A GENRE THAT WORKS FOR THEM — What we like to read isn’t always what a child or student might like to read. Take time to visit the library or Barnes & Noble and get suggestions from educated and passionate librarians or employees who are there to help. Be open to recommendations, and be sure to tell the librarian what types of stories usually capture your child’s or student’s attention.
  5. START SMALL — I can see it in students’ eyes when a particular piece of work I ask them to read feels overwhelming or daunting. Start small. Novels and stories come in all different lengths. Choose one that your child or student can complete easily and does not have to labor through to finish. They will get a sense of satisfaction from reading the book from cover to cover.
  6. PICK A SERIES — Lots of readers today enjoy getting caught up in a series like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Mature readers enjoy reading a series, too. Find one that might win over your reader and may keep them wanting to know more about the characters and what their fates may be.
  7. GET TO KNOW THE AUTHOR — Many times, readers feel connected when they know a little bit about the person who wrote the story. Do a little homework. Watch the author talk about his or her book on YouTube. Read the author’s biography on his or her website. Feeling something for the author or hearing a personal story about why he or she wrote the book in the first place may pique curiosity.

With any luck, any or all of these suggestions might be helpful and can potentially encourage reading. Good readers often become good writers. They dissect books and learn technique, style, and story construction. Reading opens our minds to wonderful new worlds and implores us to use our imaginations.

Lots of good comes from reading. Let’s continue to encourage our children and students to allow themselves to get swept away into a good book.

Once they do, with any luck, there may be no turning back.

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To see a list of BOOKS I’VE ENJOYED, CLICK HERE.

On Life

For Writers & People Facing Change

Steph's Scribe

Great QuoteSometimes I see something that makes me stop and pause. This saying did it for me today. As a writer, blogger, professor, and a believer in a positive vision for the future, I love the meaning of this quote. Too often, we hold on to the past, when sometimes, what we need to do, is just look to the future.

We are all guilty of doing it at some point in our lives.

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Photo credit: Tumblr.com, best of.

About Creative Writing

I Totally Missed It

Steph's Scribe

Contelli'sDraftYou’re supposed to remember the dates of big anniversaries.

I didn’t.

I totally missed it.

Monday marked the one-year anniversary of the publication of my novel. It wasn’t even a blip on my radar; I am wrapped up in other things and didn’t take a moment to reflect on the last year.

Anniversaries are for remembering. For reflecting on what has happened since you embarked on whatever it was: marriage, children, jobs, schools, a project come to fruition, etc.

I’m still the same old person I used to be (and I do mean old). I go about my daily routines in the same way I always did. I take care of my family, make lunches, teach courses, go out with friends, attend sporting events, and see my family regularly. Not much has changed, really.

Except for one thing: I set a goal, and I attained it. I am satisfied. From the time I was in high school, I said to myself, “Someday I will publish something. I will put a story out there.”

I encourage all people with dreams to never stop dreaming. Set your goals, and work toward achieving them. Whether you self-publish a novel or get a publisher; whether you run a marathon or do a 5K run fundraiser; whether you take swing dance courses or cooking classes and learn new steps or create a masterpiece cake.

This is me holding my draft copy of the novel. See how I'm in absolute disbelief that I finally finished the thing?
One year ago…

On this one-year anniversary, I’m glad I can say I did it. And, hopefully, within the year, I will say I did it again.

One little goal at a time.

About Creative Writing

Persevere

Steph's Scribe
ErinPikephotography
Image credit: Erin Pike Photography

I’ve been addicted to Pinterest for the last few days. Seriously. I find it relaxing, and I’ve always loved looking at magazines. Pinterest is such a great way to share ideas, decorating tips, recipes, fashion, books, and more. If you want to see what I’m up to on there, check it out here:

Pinning on Pinterest-Stephanie Verni

Anyway, I found some great sayings, and I really love this one. I think it speaks to anyone who has set a goal for himself or herself, and it definitely speaks to writers. Keep going, keep writing, keep editing, and keep being creative. It’s all worth it in the end. Even if it’s hard.

Creativity, Advertising, & ... more., On Life

Positioning Yourself & Your Work

Steph's Scribe

PositioningIn 1972, two guys name Al Ries and Jack Trout collaborated on a series of articles for Advertising Age. The articles were about positioning: positioning a company or a brand in advertising. Now, 41 years later, the term “positioning” still holds true and is a buzzword among media creatives.

The question? How can we get a consumer to pay attention to us in this, as Ries and Trout call it, a highly “over-communicated society.”

Their question is even more viable today as it was in 1972. We are inundated by messages all day long. Think about it: We see ads on Facebook, Twitter, on television and radio, billboards, bus signs, magazine and newspaper ads, and the list goes on as these messages fill our minds with clutter. Have you ever stood in Times Square and just looked around in awe? How many messages are facing you? You as a single, solitary person must then interpret and process the information.

Sometimes you just want to shout STOP THE MADNESS!

Two nights ago when I was interviewed on ABC2’s show THE LIST, I talked about how to write your book, to take it step by step. But being an independent author means you have to tackle two sets of skills: writing the novel, which is creative, and then marketing the novel, which can be creative but requires some business finesse. The truth is, the most difficult part of the process is marketing that work once it’s completed, or, as Ries & Trout like to call it, POSITIONING IT to readers.

All of us independent authors must have a niche: What sets us apart from other writers? Why is our book special? And, as I work toward the completion of a second book, I am already asking myself a vital question: What is unique about this novel, and how will I position it in the very large, very vast book marketplace?

Yours Truly with the Bronze Medal Award. Readers Favorite Ceremony, Miami, Florida. November 16, 2012.
Enter contests…as many as you can…to garner some recognition.

I’ve learned a few things along the way as an independent author, and I’ve taken to heart what Ries & Trout have to say about positioning myself—and my work. I’ve made a little, teeny-tiny dent in the publishing world, which is changing on us day by day. More and more people are turning to self-publishing. And to boot, e-books are on the rise. In fact, according to Digital Book World, e-book sales account for more than 50% of titles sold. And while many think digital book sales may have peaked, no one can predict how sales will fare in the future.

The good thing is that people are reading. And that begs the question: How do we get readers to pick up our book?

The answer lies in positioning yourself. Positioning your book and you. Do you have a blog or website? Can people get to know you and your writing that way? If they become interested in your blog, perhaps they will pick up a copy of your book. You can Tweet. You can get followers on Facebook. You can become a Goodreads author. You can pin on Pinterest. You can link in with people on LinkedIn. You can send out press releases and try to tackle traditional media. You can enter your book in contests and try to win awards. These are just a few ideas that independent authors use to launch and gain readers.

But truth be told, the position is what you want. You have to have a good product in order to position it well. For authors, our product is our work, our book. If someone likes what you’ve written, they will be more inclined to buy the next one you put out.

Being an independent author is all about positioning.

But it takes time, patience, and drive.

Not to mention, a good story, and lest we forget, some good old-fashioned word-of-mouth referrals.

Books & Flim

Recap From Words & Wine Benefit

Steph's Scribe

Well, the Words & Wine Benefit was lovely. Despite the torrential downpour, ominous sky, and tornado warnings, “people did come, Ray.” I always enjoy myself; chatting with people always makes my night. Meeting Governor Ehrlich, chatting with Rafael Alvarez, and talking books, Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and the professional writing program at Towson University with people were the highlights. There were 20 of us authors mingling with folks and each other. I love when people ask me about my book. So much fun to talk about it! I hope we helped the Friends of the Catonsville Library raise some money, and I look forward to going back next year.

About Creative Writing, Books & Flim

“Do You Like Being An Author?” she asked.

Steph's Scribe

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I was sitting in the Author’s Tent at the Baltimore Book Festival a couple of weeks ago when a young lady and her friend came up to my table. They couldn’t have been more than 12 or 13. I had bookmarks and candies as giveaways on my table, along with a stack of my novel, “Beneath the Mimosa Tree.”

The girls didn’t take a candy. Nor did they ask for a bookmark. Instead, they wanted something else.

“How are you?” I said, as they stood before me, a little shy and tentative.

“Good,” they said. “How are you?”

“Good,” I said. I smiled at them. “Would you like a candy?”

“Not really…well, maybe,” they said. “What we really want to do is ask you a question.”

“Sure,” I said. “You can ask me anything.”

They looked at each other, smiled, and then looked back at me. They were pretty adorable.

“Do you like being an author?” the one girl asked me.

I’d never been asked that question before. I’d never had to answer it.

“Yes, I do!” I said, hearing myself say it. I felt like Sam-I-Am when he has the epiphany that he does, indeed, like green eggs & ham. I’ve been writing since I was in junior high school, and the realization that I now have something in print sometimes does make me smile. So often, it feels like it’s happened to someone else and not to me. “I do like being an author,” I said again.

They giggled. “Why?”

Again, I’d been challenged to answer. “I’ve always wanted to tell stories,” I said, “and I’ve always enjoyed writing.”

“Is this book your story?” the one girl asked. I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, so I questioned her for clarification.

“Do you mean is this book about me?”

“Yes,” they said.

“No,” I said. “It’s about two made up characters. But you know what? I love them as if they were real.”

There was a pause, and then one of the girls spoke.

“I want to write. I write every day. I want to write stories like you do,” she said.

“Then keep doing what you’re doing. Write in your journal. Tell stories. When you get older, write a blog and tell your stories. Write every time you get the chance. Never give up. Just keep writing,” I said. “It becomes a part of who you are.”

I could tell they completely understood what I was saying, and I have no doubt that one day I will read a book that they have authored.

They took a couple of candies, I high-fived them, and they thanked me for my time. I enjoyed meeting and talking with them.

So I guess that’s yet another reason why I like being an author.

 

Books & Flim

I’m Off to the Baltimore Book Festival!

Steph's Scribe

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I’m just about to walk out the door and head to the Baltimore Book Festival. It’s a gorgeous day here in Baltimore, and one you may enjoy spending in the Mt. Vernon are of the city. There are lots of great things happening at the festival today: my friend Ann is presenting at 3 p.m. in the Romance Writer’s tent, and I’ll be in the Author’s Tent from noon – 7 p.m.

I hope you’ll come out and visit local and national authors today. There will be treats at my table. BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE and I could use your support!

See you later!