It was a hot, dry, dusty day in the Central Valley of California. Late August or early September. I rode in the camper, while my dad drove, and my mom and younger brother rode up front, in the cab of the truck. I think I was sixteen. We’d spent a few days in the Sierra…
Author: Barbara W. Klaser
Sunshine and Rain
Today the sun shines, tomorrow we expect rain, and I like these fluctuating weather patterns.
Verse of the Vampyre by Diana Killian
Verse of the Vampyre opens with Grace Hollister hiding in a graveyard, late at night, waiting for — well, spying on — Peter Fox, who’s to meet with a mysterious woman. Grace has been anxious to know why Peter has distanced himself from her, at the same time a series of robberies have occurred in the vicinity of Innisdale. Is Peter up to his old pursuits? And if so, which? Women or jewels?
Why We Write
Words are a human phenomenon. They’ve exploded with our population into every part of this planet, even into space. Each of us has so many words they spill over into others’ lives, more today than ever.
What I’m Reading
I just picked up a book I’ve had on my shelf for a long time but neglected to read. The Writer’s Journey, Mythic Structure for Storytellers & Screenwriters, by Christopher Vogler, provides a guide for writers to universal mythic structure, drawing on Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces.
How Is Your Commitment?
On not letting delays, obstacles, setbacks and losses keep you from writing. Meet them with flexibility.
Dances With Cats
I’ve nearly always had a cat. I’ve loved them since early childhood, before I was even allowed to touch one. I love their mystique, their grace and delicate beauty, as well as their tenacious strength. I love the way a cat will get this “I meant to do that” look when he’s occasionally caught in an awkward stumble, or slides across a slick kitchen floor right into the refrigerator. I love purrs, meows, eyes that see in the dark, soft fur, and a tail like a flag in the air to tell you when she’s happy.
On Home Repairs & Putting Things In Perspective
The other day, while seated peacefully at the computer, I heard a horrible noise above our living room. My husband had been performing some home improvement work in the attic, when he stepped on a temporary flooring board, which broke, sending his foot down through the drywall.
The Da Vinci Code: Do you believe it — or any work of fiction?
On a favorite mystery list, someone asked, in relation to a discussion of The Da Vinci Code: What limits believability in a story?
For me the line isn’t drawn so much at facts as consistency. The author needs to follow the rules he’s set up for his story. I also have a tough time with author cheating, not providing the information that’s needed, trying to trick the reader by holding something back. If I sense the author is holding out on me, I’ll stop reading.
Facts that I know to be different from how they’re presented do bother me. I suppose it’s a matter of degree that determines whether they ruin the story’s believability for me.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Robert Langdon is an American expert on symbolism and art, visiting France to speak before The American University of Paris. He’s wakened in his hotel room late at night and summoned to the Louvre Museum by the French Judicial Police. The museum’s esteemed curator, Jacques Saunière, has been murdered in the Grand Gallery, where many of the Louvre’s masterpieces reside, particularly the Mona Lisa….