So What?

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


You may remember Art Linkletter's famous quote, "Kids say the darndest things".  Even when I was a kid (saying the darndest things), I recognized that it doesn't stop with kids.  I've always been fascinated with the oddities of conversation and how we all say some pretty strange things.

The first time I heard the phrase "good to go" was at a business meeting in 2000, and it caught my ear for its uniqueness and alliteration. I had no idea it would soon become one of the most overused catch phrases of our time.  Having said that, I say it a lot.

In more recent years, "It is what it is" has elbowed its way into modern language.  I was introduced to it by a friend who was suddenly using it several times in every conversation.  I assumed he got it from one of his two great loves, sports or American Idol.  Either way, what an absurd phrase.  How can it not be what it is?  I mean, come on.  I'm validated to observe that "It is what it is" is one of the most hated sayings of our century, and is on its way out.

But much more recently, I'm noticing the unusual propensity of some people to start an answer with the word "so".  For example:

"Why did you become a writer?"
"So when I got out of school I..."

Huh? When did "so" become a synonym of "because"?

Watch any episode of Shark Tank and you'll see numerous instances of this.  For a while I assumed they skipped something in editing, but it's become obvious that's not the case.  I've been hearing it elsewhere too, like on cable news channels.  Have you?

"So" at the beginning of an answer seems to be replacing the ever-popular "well".  Which, if you think about it, is just as odd of a word to start an answer with.  The dictionary doesn't even explain "well" in that context, but we all use it as a bridge of sorts, an interjection to lead us from the question to the answer, giving us an extra moment to form the words that follow:

"Why are you late?"
"Well, I..."

Actually, I have a theory.  In recent years psychologists have asserted that "well" at the beginning of an answer could mean the person is not telling the truth.  (Perhaps it's become an unofficial qualifier, like "actually" or "honestly".)  Because of that, companies may have instructed their salespeople to avoid saying "well", and other circles have followed suit.  Just a theory.

Still, I question the choice of "so" as its replacement, which is like starting an answer with "therefore".  It's especially unforgivable among journalists, who purport to use the English language more fluently than the average bear.  Instead, they're only perpetuating the madness.

Kindly pardon the rant, but it's starting to get on my nerves and I hope this bizarre trend will fade into oblivion soon.  Until then, it is what it is.

A Dash of Dis and a Dash of Dat

By Kittie Howard

South Louisiana is a gumbo of ethnicities, languages, dialects, colonial histories, and varied landscapes. I didn’t know dat, me, growin’ up dere, no.

Ah, Cajun English, the sound of home: a pot of gumbo on the stove; sweet corn dripping down the chin; collard greens with—shhh, our secret—a dash of sugar. Mo chagren. I’m sorry. What am I saying? The sound of home is in my mind, a recording only I hear.

When I roughed out my latest novella, Rings of Trust, I dove into the keyboard with the sound of home. Pleased with my Cajun English dialogue, I printed a copy for my husband. Minutes later, he frowned. “What’s the matter?” I asked.

My New Hampshire husband hesitated. “Maybe you should tone down this Cajun dialect.”

We exchanged blank looks: New Hampshire’s boiled potatoes and South Louisiana deep-fried shoestring potatoes; New Hampshire’s clam chowder and South Louisiana’s gumbo. As if I were a character in one of my books, I perused my lips. “Okay,” I said.

I returned to the keyboard and sat there, staring at the screen and tapping my finger on the desk. My husband spoke conversational French, but with a Canadian English foundation his mother’s first language. Tap. Tap. This dialogue is so normal. Tap. Tap. What’s wrong with him? He’s been to South Louisiana countless times without a problem talking sports. Tap. Tap. He wasn’t paying atten—whoa!

I’d forgotten about body language and eye contact, the other aspects of hearing. Of course hub didn’t get it. He wasn’t born into Cajun English, a dialect that had evolved from Cajun French out of economic necessity in the 1800s. When one’s sitting in an un-air conditioned mom and pop diner in August, one understands Da day’s hot, hot. It’s easy to pick up that the lack of the plosive /th/ sound in Cajun French has turned the into da. Just as easy, the brain hears hot. But to read hot, hot in a dialogue? Neither listener nor reader knows the first hot means very. When Cajuns end sentences with no or yeah, there’s no rule, only a sensing.

I then did what I should have done in the first place: I devised a list of Cajun accented words (dôn for don’t) and fractured English (Id dôn matta, no.) to season the straight English. Once I had a consistency, the fingers flew. My husband turned page after printed page. “What’s Broussard going to do next? he’d ask.

I’d smile and return to the keyboard. However, I’d learned an important lesson about assuming. The author and the reader have to hear each other. In a way, we’re like cicadas calling each other. If one doesn’t hear, the evening is too quiet.

Much of the dialogue in Southern literature reflects the South’s drawl. But it differs. We hear who’s from Mississippi or Northern Louisiana. We know who’s who. How do you handle this drawl in your dialogue?

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Kittie Howard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She has worked for the U. S. Department of Defense. The United States Marine Corps presented her with a citation for her contributions to its Family Readiness Program. She has served as an advisor to local Red Cross, Navy Relief Boards, the national Armed Services YMCA Board and has coordinated various projects for local chapters of the USO. Kittie Howard’s Christmas novella with Remy chararacter in Remy Broussard's Christmas. Southern Writers Magazine showcased her Louisiana heritage on its blog in July 2012. In association with a Louisiana historical society, her grandmother’s family will be one of three families featured in a book about South Central Louisiana’s pioneers. Kittie and her husband, Dick Vercauteren, presently divide their time between Northern Virginia and Louisiana.

The Gift of Writing Comes From Inside

By Peter B Forster

‘Oh I have always been a writer. All my life I have snatched words out of the air. Even as I woke in the morning my first thought would be to catch their bright burning flame, wield a pen like a branding iron and scorch them deep into a sheet of velum. The pain of the world writ large in raw hide…’ How many times have you heard that kind of pretentious twaddle from a writer?

When I was asked to provide an original piece of work for the magazine and one that might provide some useful insights about the process of writing to the readership I was stumped. Words usually pour out. They jump and bubble. I let them go and watch as they dance around the page like a row of chorus girls. I have never experienced the dreaded yips. Or the cold hollow whistle of an empty head. But that is because I think the gift of writing is within us all. It is not a unique talent; there is no magical formula. All you need to do is write down your thoughts. We all have them and it is as easy as that.

Of course that is pretentious twaddle as well because if it was easy then anybody could do it and if it was true we would all be bashing out books all day long.

‘Oh I’ve always thought I would write a book one day…’

How many times have we heard that? Of course every single person on this planet has a story. And everybody thinks they can write it down.

But they don’t, do they and why not?

It is easy to say creative writing takes discipline and hard work, but that goes without saying. If we all have the gift then anybody can sit down with a lap top. With the press of a button the flood gates are opened and the words just spill out. It is as easy as ABC. But if that is true what makes the difference between words that dribble out with the graceless hum of a splattered cowpat and those that slip off the tongue with a lyrical roll and move with a rhythm that captures the imagination?  I think it is personality. If a writer can harness their own unique personality and transfer it on to the page then the words come to life. They have a personality, power and majesty all of their own.

Well maybe, possibly, perhaps.

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Peter is a consulting Counseling Psychologist in a busy East London community health setting. He has published in academic works and provided chapters in books for counselors’’ psychologists and psychotherapists he nurtures a love of and talent for creative writing. He attends writer’s workshops, written and performed poetry as well as provided lyrics for jobbing musicians. Currently he is fulfilling his ambition to write full length fiction novel. Peter’s academic work can be found in Tribe and Morrissey (eds) Handbook of Professional and Ethical Practice for Psychologists, Counsellors and Psychotherapists. Brunner-Routledge (2005) web: www.peterbforster.com   twitter: @peterbforster

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peter-B-Forster/382099575196003?ref=hl

Tearing Into History

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Have you ever watched a building being torn down? Last week a 2300 year old Mayan temple in the Nohmul complex in Belize was leveled by a construction crew. Reportedly, it was destroyed to provide gravel for a nearby road under construction.What?

According to the Belize Institute of Archaeology, a small portion of the center of the pyramid mound was left standing. Although situated on private property, historical sites are protected by the government of Belize, and criminal charges may be filed.

Ironically, the day I heard of the destruction of the Mayan pyramid I was able to observe the destruction of a non-historical icon a former Mrs.Winners Chicken & Biscuit building. Not that this compares to the loss of a historical landmark, but it does compare to the edit process of a book 

In order to destroy a building, you need a big crane and an experienced crane driver. In editing a book, you need written pages and an editor. The crane driver/editor manipulates deep into the pages of the book and extracts what is not necessary. The unnecessary words are scooped up into a pile and deposited into your computer's trash bin. 

During the process of building-destruction, a construction crew member waters down the pile of trash so that it doesn't combust and cause a fire. For your book that could be a trusted reader(s) or critique group. Editing is a personal process even though it's part of the business. While some of your written words are going to trash, it's important to get positive reinforcement. 

When the dump truck is filled to capacity, it leaves the site. After editing is completed, one of the hardest things for me to do is hit the delete button on the trash bin. Once done, you are free from the edit process and ready to start your next project.

What does editing have to do with history? Your book or story contains history no matter the subject or genre. It represents the author's personal history. Life was happening around you while you wrote your book. I think that is why we sometimes have trouble in the edit process. If you are like me, the words I've written remind me of life events that happened, while my book and story developed. When those words are deleted, it's as if part of my history has been deleted. Sometimes it's hard to tear into history but it has to be done. You may be left with a small portion of the original but the heart of your book will allow your voice to shine through.

Do you have the next Bestseller?

By Ashley Fontainne 

Is the next bestseller floating around in your head? Better yet, have you already unleashed the tidal wave of powerful words and are now unsure what to do next? Does the fear of rejection letters make you cringe, causing you to withhold your manuscript from the world? Is your mind cowering from the thought of the dreaded negative review? Do you break out in cold sweat when you dare to dream about releasing your novel for the eyes of the world to read?

Fear no more.

The world of publishing has forever been altered through the introduction of the electronic book. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and numerous other ebook reading devices offer an opportunity to unleash your creative prose. If your computer or graphic design skills are limited, like mine are, then there are a plethora of companies/individuals available to take your words and create a masterpiece. From editing, interior formatting, cover design and marketing, the options are abundant. Personally, I recommend the design team at Blue Harvest Creative. (Simply take a look at the astounding covers they designed for me and you will understand why).

Support is available through various social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and LinkedIn. These are all free services and loaded with other helpful Indie authors. The close-knit Indie community works as one cohesive entity, helping to support each other in a variety of ways, for when one of us succeeds, we all do.

Think it can’t happen to you? Well, it can. After a few rookie mistakes in early 2011, I found my voice and by December of 2011, my first novel became an International bestseller. In the last twelve months, I have seen the second novel in my series achieve the same status. Then somehow, during all the online promotions and interviews, I was offered my own radio show at ArtistFirst Radio. Not only have my dreams become a reality, but they have been surpassed in ways I never fathomed, even in the wild ones!

So, let the pent-up story hiding inside you flow from your fingers onto the keyboard. Once the words are free from the confines of your heart and soul, follow the dream and let them fly.

And enjoy the journey.

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Ashley Fontainne's, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy, Eviscerating theSnake. The second in the series, Zero Balance focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. Born and raised in California, Ashley now calls Arkansas home with her husband and four children. She also enjoys writing poetry and short stories and recently published Ramblings of a Mad Southern Woman: ACollection of Short Stories and Poetry on Life, Love, Loss and Longing. Ashley is also a supporter of the Joyful Heart Foundation that assists victims of violent crime seek help and find healing, and donates 10% of all book sales yearly to the cause.Her website is www.ashleyfontainne.com,  

Tweet her @AshleyFonta  http://ramblingsofamadsouthernwoman.blogspot.com

Be on the Lookout, Photo is a Silhouette!

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief for Southern Writers Magazine

Interesting thing happened the other day. I was searching for an author, and was having a little difficulty in finding them. When I did find the author, their icon—the one most authors use to show their photo—only showed a silhouette. (I notice that a lot on one of the Social Media sites.)

It got me to thinking about branding. An author’s branding is one of the most important things they can do for promotion, marketing and selling their books, not to mention having a presence so agents, editors and publishers can find them.

I can understand why someone would be reluctant to put his or her picture on the Internet. But it is imperative that an author have a picture to build their branding. If an author isn’t going to use a photo, then what can they use?

Why not use a picture of your book? While it is not as good as a personal photo, at least it adds to the branding and certainly beats that silhouette icon.

Another option would be to have a logo designed for you, perhaps using your initials. That would also work. The important thing is to replace the icon of a silhouette with a picture of something that helps brand you as an author.

It’s the little things we do that bring us the biggest gains.

Can you think of other things that can be used to brand an author?

Why I love Cross-Genre

By Gillian Hamer

Recently my second indie-published novel Closure, released. This is my second novel that combines modern day crime thrillers with paranormal and historical elements.

I’ve been told that cross-genre is frowned on in the publishing world, as people like to pigeon-hole books and authors. I have to say that hasn’t been my experience, and my stubborn-as-a-mule, desperate-to-prove-I’m-right side wants to prove that I’m not alone.

I have no objection to writing straight crime as I love reading crime. I was raised on a diet of Enid Blyton, into Agatha Christie, onto PD James and all the greats. But some part of me adores adding the little extras that no one expects to get in a novel dealing with violent crimes and murder. I adore researching into factual history of the surroundings where I base my novels. And I love creating fictional characters to work within some of that historical element, and if I can run a parallel thread with the modern day story, so that the characters effortless interweave right up to the denouement … then to me I’ve got all the makings of a good book.

Besides, even when I listen to publishers tell me that crime readers read crime, horror readers read horror, historical readers … you get the drift … I’m inwardly shaking my head hard enough for it to fly across the room.

So far the majority of reviews of The Charter have been amazing, better than I could ever have hoped. Eleven five star reviews on Amazon, with nearly everyone getting exactly what I was trying to achieve. Even after KDP Free promotions, while ready for a deluge of negative comments, I’ve been delighted with the feedback, and I am increasingly certain that publishers have got it wrong. Not everyone wants to know exactly what they’re reading. Some people like the surprise element, they like experiencing that tilt of perspective, when what they thought they knew slips away from them.

So, this month I start the ball rolling again, with my Closure - this time the paranormal element concerns spirit guides and the hotly-debated topic of reincarnation.

Again, it won’t please everyone, but if one person who reads the book and studies the research I spent almost a year compiling, changes any preconceptions, I’ll consider it a job well done. If one reader tells me that they were captivated by this little boy’s story I shall be blown away. And if I manage to create characters – both real and spiritual – who impact with readers as much as I achieved in my first novel … well, you just know it’s going to whet my appetite for my next cross-genre adventure.

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Born in the industrial Midlands, Gillian's heart has always yearned for the wilds of North Wales and the pull of the ocean.A Company Director for twenty years, she has written obsessively for over a decade, predominantly in the crime genre. She has completed six full length novels and numerous short stories. After completing a creative writing course, she decided to take her writing to the next level and sought representation. She is a columnist for Words with Jam literary magazine, a regular theatre goer and avid reader across genres. WEBSITE : www.gillianhamer.com

BLOG : http://gillianhamer.wordpress.com 

TWITTER : @gillyhamer

FACEBOOK : http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Gillian-E-Hamer/279383198798678