In 1961, author Irving Stone wrote a fictionalized biography of Michelangelo called The Agony and the Ecstasy. He was making the circuit to promote his book. He appeared on an afternoon talk show where he described his research into the life of Michelangelo. His aim, he said, was to be as historically accurate as possible and he wanted the setting to be correct. He said: I want to know the color of the bedspread in Michelangelo’s bedroom....
A genre is an expectation. Certain things are supposed to happen. Take the romance genre–there’s suppose to be love, lust, and seduction, and a happy ending. Won’t work if at the end a bunch of vampires appear on the scene and kill the happy couple. “The end.” Some friends suggested I join them at a “healthy” restaurant in Santa Fe. I ordered a pizza. What arrived was a flattened bed (crushed) of lettuce covered with fresh tomatoes slices and a few flakes of shredded cheese....
There are lots of “F” words out there–some used more often than others–some might say overused. The first is find. Finding the book. We’ve all been there—looking for that special book. You know, the one with the cool characters, with the compelling plot, and the captivating setting—that’s story we were hoping to find on the shelf of the bookstore, or available on Amazon, but which we never quite ended up seeing—a story that half-formed in our mind’s eye....
“E” could be for English, which is a language of elegance. In one sense, English is my third language, as it was the third language I learned, but it is my primary language now, so it is my first language. Over the years I have come to appreciate the elegance of English–rich in shades of meaning. Roots that draw deep from other languages. A tapestry. The language of Shakespeare. As I write the Yamabuki saga, ~1200 C....
How do I determine if I have enough determination? What deters me from showing full determination? It is to my detriment when my determination flags. Lack of determination derails me; it derails my writing; it derails all those lofty goals that I hold out for myself. Determination is illusive. I can’t order it up at breakfast like a glass of orange juice, and be set for the day. Determination has its own ebb and flow that are tied to my own biorhythms....