The Storyteller | Mary Vee

I’ve spent years learning about the writing craft from classes, conferences, and resources books, benefitting from honing my skills. Like you, God has blessed me with experienced writers who’ve helped me throughout my writing journey, each contributing a golden nugget that opened the door to the next step.  But there is one who was there when I started. He was there when you started too. His book has numerous new editions, has been translated into almost every language, and is a global bestseller. I believe you have a copy too.  Because of his writing expertise, his compassion, and willingness to help, his book has become an invaluable tool. A writer’s perfect resource with helps to meet our calling. And the author, well, he is available to everyone and anyone who asks. The one I am referring to is God, and his book is the Bible. Yeah, really! Let me show you how the Bible is your perfect writing resource. For this discussion, we are going to focus on the basic model of storyt...

  As told by… A non-existent witness by Mary Vee   From where I’m sitting. What an amusing statement. The very words practically qualify me as a judge.   Coincidentally, I am. I have been a circuit court judge for ten years and have listened to cases that would bend a dog’s ear and make a granny frown. The things people do and expect to receive leniency for boggles my mind.    Take, for example the case currently in my court. A woman driving a four-door Dodge ramped up her radio to hear the rest of a story on the Moth program aired on NPR when the semi-truck driver next to her leaned on his brakes creating a disturbing noise. She, of course, didn’t have his perspective of the road from high in the semi driver’s seat. A unique view, in this case, which enabled him to see what was to come.    The Moth story had so intrigued the woman, she thought nothing of what would happen next to her, but only what would happen next in the story. She sped up to get aw...

You might be wondering what a haboob is. I first learned about the word when my daughter Facetimed me from Arizona to show the bizarre weather in her city.  To her left, lightning pulsed in purple and pink clouds faster than a rock band's drummer beats the skin. To her right, a wall of sand. She had front row seats--hiding inside her apartment. A haboob only takes place when a thunderstorm collapses. Cold wind falls to the ground, scoops up desert sand, then, like a battering ram, bowls forward tossing sand into the air thousands of feet high. The length of the haboob can be miles long, and it will continue until it runs out of energy. How can writers use haboob as an ingredient in writing? 1. Like a story twist , a haboob appears unexpectedly, powerfully, dramatically. Every genre has a place of honor for the story twist. It is the zest. The points in the story (because there should be more than one) readers will remember long after the book is closed. The twist is the tablec...

Sometimes it’s good to sit down and read a   Newberry  Award winning book that hasn’t been read yet.   In a few word, this is how I would describe A Year Down Yonder :   Entertaining     Great World Building     Whimsical     Wonderful Characters     Witty     Realistic     Happily Ever After I took the above photo in my asparagus patch. It seemed fitting for a book review of this farming community story.   In this book review, we'll find out why A Year Down Yonder qualified for a Newbery Award .  What is the Newbery? The short answer: The best children's/young adult book of the year based on story in text. There is an award for the best children's/young adult book of the year based on illustrations. These books win the Caldecott Award. Only a special story, a story that breaks open a heart, mind, a lifetime of raising and stirs new thoughts can win a Newberry medal. Ahh, perhaps you, potential re...

Like most readers, I tend to read in the same genre or close cousins of the same genre and rarely venture into different categories. I like to read mystery, it's cousins suspense, and romantic suspense. But when an agent said, "You need to read this book. Yes, it is in a different genre, but the author writes in the same style/voice as yours," I ordered a copy and opened the pages of The Passage by Justin Cronin. Rocky Mountain Photo by Mary Vee This book is set in the United States, although the global community is included.  When a terrible virus attacks the population, children are put on a train and sent to a secluded camp built for them in the Rocky Mountains. Since we are following the children, we assume all the adults are infected with the virus. Intrigued? So was I. A Well Written Book will draw on what reader's know: I liked Cronin's historical reference to England's sending their children to the country by train during the war to protect them from ...

Moon, Photo by Mary Vee   Usually a sequel is not as good as the first book. There is something about the process of meeting new characters, new situations, new problems, new.  I mean, sequels aren't necessarily bad, they just don't meet up to the star status of the first book. Except. Ender's Game , by Orson Scott Card is one of those books that appeals to young and old. I'm not typically a sci fy reader, but when a good book comes my way, I'll give it a whirl. I read the entire book, cover to cover and enjoyed the futuristic way of solving a global problem. But. I was asked to read the sequel, Ender's Shadow , by Orson Scott Card and found this book superior. How? Netherlands, earthly setting for this story. Photo by Mary Vee Character development. From the main character, Bean, to minor characters such as the homeless boys and girls on the streets to major characters like Sister Carlotta life is breathed into the characters with such a depth readers can't...

One of the best opportunities I have is hosting other authors. We usually chat about books and visit either the setting of the story or the place where the author is from here on my blog.  Today, Rick Barry is visiting with us and he has his new release, Methuselah Project S.O.S .  The photos used in this post were provided by Rick. Over the years, I've read Rick's works in writing groups at conferences, etc. Then when he released The Methuselah Project , a few years back, I was excited to get my copy and host him here on my blog.  As a fellow suspense author, I couldn't help but read his suspense stories. I've especially enjoyed Rick's gift for twisting a tale into something I never expected.  His new book, Methuselah Project S.O.S . can best be compared to Marvel or DC. If you are a superhero fan, you will love Methuselah Project S.O.S. As with most superheroes, Roger Greene, the main character, was not born with his super powers. He was a pilot in WWII, but he i...

Confession, before yesterday, I had never read  A Christmas Carol . Pitiful, I know. In truth, I've seen the movie a gazillion times, and when I relinquished to finally read Dickens's words, I was surprised. (Today's photos of London were taken by my daughter) The full title, now that I know the rest of the story is: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas .  No, I don't think his original title received points either. Trimming it down to A Christmas Carol was a smart idea by whoever did it. The story takes place in horse and buggy days and seven years after Scrooges's partner, Jacob Marley died. So, why is this tale of " a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint,… secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster," better as a book than a movie? This photo of Big Ben is when it is under construction. The scaffolding designed to protect the building prevents us from seein...

Whether a book has an amazing plot, incredible characters, or a spectacular setting, one way to turn a reader away from the story is to misrepresent a crucial fact. Ex: Did you know vehicles are not allowed to cross the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day 6 am to noon.  As small as a sliver is, the irksome little irritant, pain can explode with a single touch.  So also is the incorrect portrayal of a cultural detail. Readers will notice!! We don't have to visit the setting used in our book, but it helps. If you can't go to the location, there are other ways to ensure the culture is properly represented. And this is  SOOOOOO crucial to keep readers reading the story! Take for example the book I am reading. I won't mention the title, but it was chosen because I happen to be in a beautiful rut reading tons of books with Parisian settings, watching movies filmed in Paris, and studying French, I've visited Paris--spent weeks in France, and okay, you get the drift. As a resu...