Lessons in Writing from...Marion Zimmer Bradley-Part the First

I never had a formal writing course. That is, I took creative writing in college, but to fulfill a requirement, not as a focus.Many of my lessons in writing came from paying attention to the general introductions and the mini-introductions to the short stories of the Sword and Sorceress anthologies edited by the late, great Marion Zimmer Bradley (MZB).She was a prolific author who wrote in many genres at some point in her life. She lived very comfortably in fantasy. In addition to her Darkover novels (which also showed her sci-fi chops at times), she was well known for her retelling of the Arthurian Mythos from the female perspective in a book known as the 'Mists of Avalon.'I read the Sword and Sorceress (S&S) anthologies beginning in high school.

To this day, I must admit that my first reading of the anthologies were always of those introductions and then I would go back and read a story or two here and there. The mini-introductions reminded me of the irascible grandmother or grandfather, who knew their craft and didn't understand how these kids could get as far as they did without doing things proper.

Tips I picked up from these pages included:

• Being able sum up a story and/or a novel in one sentence
• Following the guidelines so that you are giving the editor what they are looking for
• Working at it until you get it write
• Watching that grammar

MZB died in September 1999. I found out first by looking at the S&S XVII and noticing that the copyright was in the name of the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust. Then I found one of those retail bookstore newsletters that you usually ignore and I saw her picture and then that dreaded term-the 'late' Marion Zimmer Bradley.

There is a website for the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust:

http://mzbworks.home.att.net/

If you don't happen to have the money or the time to collect the S&S anthologies, there is a section at the Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust website that just happens to be called 'Articles on Writing,' which just happens to have an article entitled 'Advice for New Writers.' Each article is relevant and full of sound advice told in that MZB style. Definitely worth reading and worth coming back to for a refresher from time to time.

So thanks MZB, for inadvertantly teaching me useful things while I read about strong swordswomen and sorceresses.

Twas the day after the November elections

Twas the day after the November elections and all over the waves, I woke up to find out that Maine still won't grant marriage to gays.

I tweeted and shared the info along with many others to organize and make sure that Maine joins other places in doing what is right by their citizens.

I find out that Mayor Tom Menino managed to hold onto Boston and Chris Christie took over New Jersey as governor despite 'Mean Girls' style taunting about his weight.

'Creigh Deeds' is definitely one of the more interesting names I've heard in a long time.

I don't know the results of the Cambridge, Mass elections yet. I did vote for the first time in a long time. I had forgotten that they vote in a system akin to the one that the ISU (International Skating Union) used to use until the 2002 Olympics. I prefer my balloting straighforward. Ranking candidates and such is a little too much for my weary brain after a long day of work. I imagine it's why the same people vote in the same people over and over. New people would question the system and want change and since many of those people would be from the 'gown' set, they would never be heard and be branded as outsiders who don't understand and want to get rid of the 'uniqueness' that is Cambridge.

In reading the answers to the questionaires that each candidate filled out online, I noted how a number of them did not mince words when it came to gunning for City Manager Robert Healy.
I agree that he has been in there for a LONG time. I can't recall at any point in my life when he wasn't the City Manager.

Many of the candidates did make good points about what was wrong with the city of Cambridge, including shortness of funds, affordable anything, acknowledging that Cambridge is a city with problems that go way back because of years of denial, and the fact that Cambridge has always been a city that is not just the bastion of Harvard and MIT, but of bus drivers, waitresses, office workers, maintenance workers, small business owners-the 'town' of the 'town and gown' and a segment often not represented enough until something catastrophic happens.

So I will now go see online who the new bosses of Cambridge (likely the same old bosses) are as well as find out if I need to add Maine to the list of states that I still need to educate in regards to allowing same-sex marriage.

Top Chef: Bye Bye Mike I

Mike Isabella was shown the door on Top Chef last week. It was a fair bounce: I would say to the remaining chefs and to anyone applying for a job that when you act like 'whatever,' that's how you get treated. He screwed up and his basic behaviour was, 'whatever.'

I am happy to see him go for another reason. I was so tired of the misogyny from him. Granted, as the season has gone on, his comments were more directed at Robin and her lack of skill. However I thought that he never consistently backs up his vast knowledge and skill. The leeks incident is but an example.

I've said it more than a little about Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen that I still can be amazed at the amount of female bashing that goes on with the male chefs of both shows. Hell's Kitchen can be more blatant, but Top Chef is usually touted as being the more sophicated show and that in 2009, a male chef would say something like "I'm not going to let a girl beat me," is disturbing.

It will be interesting to see how the remaining chefs deal feel about his departure.

Tonight is the first annual Top Chef All Stars Reunion Dinner. Because these are the contestants (think Marcel, Hung, Carla) and not the Masters (think Rick Bayliss, Hubert Keller), we are to expect sniping and some Meow Mix to be served with the cream.

Oh, did I mention it will be hosted by Fabio, last season's final four contestant who's still charming them with his fresh off the boat Italian accent complete with the required malapropisms.

Oh reality

I asked where my endless fascination with reality restaurant shows came. I guess I can add Dr. Phil to the list. I am currently watching the turmoil that is known as "The Dr. Phil family." I remembered them from when they debuted in 2003. Sadly, before Dr. Phil shined the light on this family, I grew up with kids whose families were like this and was not surprised by any of the revelations (though it seemed that the audience was). We as an audience seem to revel and be intensely involved in the problems of the middle class suburbanites that populate reality shows like Dr. Phil.

I'm always endlessly fascinated by the fact that when drug addiction affects families of color, it's the families' fault and they are a blight on society and we are paying for your crimes...whereas with this population, there are 'teachable moments' and if only they weren't exposed to tv and other bad influences and they can be saved and go to college and have a future...

It begins

Well, It's November, which is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoM0) and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

The keys to succeeding at both are finding time and being disciplined. Not easy to do in our ADD-instant result expectant-crisis management kind of world.

This year's NaBloPoMo will also serve to help jumpstart my blogging, which I have left so by the wayside. I will also be blogging not only at this site, but also at my livejournal, which will also serve to chronicle my NaNoWriMo progress. I will also blog at my social action blog, which documents causes and nonprofits issues that interest me. For kicks, I'll have my opinions at my soap fan blog also.

This year's NaBloPoMo roster is:

More Explore
http://www.moreexplore.blogspot.com/

My Writing Exploration
http://ladydayelle.livejournal.com/

My Social Awareness and Action Blog
http://kitlat.wordpress.com/

Where are your women?

Check that. Where are your women who look closer to the undesirable version of the racial spectrum, but who are just as competent, just as capable and just as curious as the souped up versions that are presented?

We've been treated to lots of stories heroes and heroines saving the world, making a difference and having fun on the internet, the big screen and the small screen. I rarely see people who look like the kind of woman I physically became in those stories. I usually see them as victims, as dimwitted, unimaginative, non progressive people, as an archetype who is a 'magical negro' or who has 'the ancient Chinese secret,' but not leading a full live that has ups and downs and highs and lows except as some sort of 'afterschool special'.

I reflect on the current crop of medical dramas and again notice that women of color as doctors, as supervisors, as specialists are missing in large numbers. I was thinking about 'Grey's Anatomy,' which does have women of color as a part of the writing staff, but none as attendings in the show's hospital staff. Make no mistake-Miranda Bailey may huff and puff, but she and Callie are HNIC and HMIC respectively.

Sci-fi, action and fantasy makes you want to cry because of the dearth. Even if a woman of dark color is presented, she rarely is in on the action and she lives in a vacuum. She's married and/or is a mother and is remote.

Of course, I can write my own stories...but will they ever be read?

When did I become such a Top Chef/Hell's Kitchen/Chopping Block/Kitchen Nightmares junkie?

When did I become such a Top Chef/Hell's Kitchen/Chopping Block/Kitchen Nightmares junkie?

I find it funny, since I am not a foodie by any stretch. I can understand that I like the competitive element of the first three. Winners and Losers, achievement and failure. That's some of the best drama out there. It's why this country watches the Superbowl, the Stanley Cup, the NBA Finals and the World Series every year. It is why the world stops every four years to watch the Olympics.

I did notice that I enjoyed watching the food being plated on Top Chef, and I wanted to eat them.

Kitchen Nightmares is like a warped Extreme Makeover with restaurants. Oddly enough I don't like watching Extreme Makeover, but I like Kitchen Nightmares. Much like the movie American Gangster, there are lessons hidden here and there amidst the bleeps and beeps. I will write a series of blog posts about them later.

The Chopping Block is a little bit like Hell's Kitchen meets Kitchen Nightmares, but with a French man instead of a raving Scot. I found it was interesting that Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay were once friends.