If you follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter, you know I’m the producer of Aaron Gansky’s Firsts in Fiction Podcast. Aaron and his pops, Alton Gansky, are the hosts. I get to call him “Pops” too because I collect parents. It’s just what I do. And if you’ve seen the podcast, you’ll know there’s times I’m kinda glad we’re not really related. But I digress.
So. The Firsts in Fiction Podcast Team. Right. Yes. That’s us. Together, we discuss how to write better fiction.
Recently we made a change or two, and streamlined the location. Previously, you would need to follow each weekly link. And sometimes Google Hangouts would drop it so we’d reset it, leaving our regular viewers searching for it like keys left in a coat pocket.
So a few weeks ago the gents got together and found a way to mainstream the podcast to Aaron’s website. That’s it. One link. Forever.
But wait, there’s more!
I also added a widget to my blog here. It’s the little photo on the right sidebar that looks a bit like this:
FiF Podcast Team
And by added, I mean I researched, wrote code, and built a photo-click widget all on my own. [This is where you applaud politely at my attempts to be tech-savvy.] [This is where I blush and wave. No, no. Really. Stop. You’re too much. Really.]
You got (writing fiction) questions? We got (writing fiction) answers. Each week we answer a question from our viewers in our “Ask the Authors” feature. You can leave your questions on any of our social media pages.
And we do our best to bring you quality entertainmentfamily dysfunction helpful information on how to write better fiction. And, well, yeah. All that other stuff, too.
So join us live every Tuesday night at 6:30 pm PST.
Firsts in Fiction: Your first stop for learning to write fantastic fiction.
The news is bad. We’re overwhelmed, suffering, trying to cope without the right tools. We just need a hand up, a friend alongside us. We just need to know we’re not alone, and a reason to believe it will get better.
We feel like we’re drowning.
We Feel Like We’re Drowning
The storm hits, the hurricane comes in, and with it comes the dark. The scary. The unknown. The ugly, doesn’t-belong-here, never-asked-for-this stuff.
Our Paradise is lost in the mire.
Paradise Lost: We Feel Like We’re Drowning
And we can’t catch our breath. Because as soon as we come up for air, another wave crashes over us, the tidal waves pull us down, the ebb and flow is not a smooth lake but a waterfall whirlpool that drags us in so many directions at once and doesn’t let go.
It’s impossible to breathe.
The Rough of It: We Feel Like We’re Drowning
We bang against the rocks and we know this wound is gonna leave a scar. The seaweed tangles around us like tentacles from a monster and our fear grows. We know it’s not real, but it is real. It is grabbing us.
You can’t avoid the storms.
Sure, we didn’t always choose to be put in the path of the storm. Sometimes we saw it coming and thought, “It won’t be that bad.” Or sometimes we walked toward it with our eyes closed or looking elsewhere. Sometimes, we were led to this by others. Every life has storms, no matter what.
Muddy Waters: We Feel Like We’re Drowning
And when we’re in it, really in it, it’s hard to see around us. We can’t easily navigate our way to safety, and chances are we could pull others into the storm if we’re not careful.
And the mud gets into us. It fills our ears, eyes, nose, mouth. We feel the grit between our toes, we taste it going down our throats.
It. Is. Everywhere.
It’s all we know. Except, we know there’s more. We know we weren’t always in the storm, and we weren’t always in the mire. We weren’t always dirty. And all we want is to be clean.
But there’s nothing we can do but let the storm carry us through its abuse of our life.
But what if we can?
What if the waves are getting our attention because the placid water wasn’t? What if we aren’t hurting as bad as we think we are? What if the waves crashing on us are fiercely washing away the mud from our eyes so we can better see the path ahead? What if the only way to separate us from what we shouldn’t hold on to, is to have it ripped from our grip? What if the ridiculous pain of this life is meant for something more than making us miserable?
What if this storm is meant to cleanse us and make us stronger?
What If We’re Not Drowning?
Instead of panicking, what if we found our stride, and realized the shore isn’t so far away?
What if, in fact, we’re not drowning? What if what’s really happening, is we’re finally learning how to swim?
One of my favorite recipes is Anna’s Meatloaf. Y’all know the story, right? Anna was my best friend in college. We worked together, hung out together, cooked together.
She would make this great meatloaf, and when I moved back home, she gave me the recipe. Like, gave me the recipe. As in, “Here. Use it, royalty free.” So I put it in my cookbook. [She did, of course, garner a free copy of The Unemployment Cookbook.]
Served with a side of vegetables or scalloped potatoes, Anna’s Meatloaf is perfect for cool autumn evenings and busy weekends. This hearty, warm, and easy recipe promises to bring your people to the table.
Ready for Dinner: Anna’s Meatloaf
Now it’s your turn: What are some of your go-to favorite recipes?
[DISCLAIMER: Any outside product or company referenced in this recipe is not affiliated with Frankly, My Dear . . ., Molly Jo Realy, New Inklings Press, or The Unemployment Cookbook. Several years ago I won a #GrillMatesPack from Chatterbox and McCormick, and have been enjoying McCormick’s seasoning products since. I have not been otherwise compensated for any mention or reference in this or any other post.]
There’s something beautiful in the death of Gene Wilder.
Not that dying is beautiful. But he kept his final struggles from the world, stating “He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”
Of all his characters, Willy Wonka is my favorite. Maybe because he was born from a children’s book. Maybe because the candy is colorful. What child doesn’t want to live in a world that’s completely edible? Maybe because, as I grow older, I understand Wonka’s snarky comments on humankind more and more.
This is one of those celebrity deaths that will bother me for a while. But, because he wouldn’t want the world to be sad, tonight I’ll watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and remember what he taught me about success.
1. All it takes is Pure Imagination.
Willy Wonka: All It Takes Is Pure Imagination.
Without imagination, there is no forward movement. Goals don’t drop out of the sky, and success is never overnight. Start with a dream, come up with a plan, and never stop moving forward.
2. Be sweet. Be salty. Be balanced.
Willy Wonka: Be Sweet. Be Salty. Be Balanced.
Sure, the world is better when sugar’s involved. But too much sugar makes you sick. Not enough makes you mean. So move forward with enough sweetness to brighten someone’s day. But bring enough salt to preserve your place in the world, to leave your own flavor, and balance things out.
3. Don’t give up. Your Golden Ticket is out there.
Willy Wonka: You Have More Chance, Because You Want It More.
You have to get through a lot of pushy people who will try to interfere on your way to success. Haters gonna hate, right? No worries. As Grandpa Joe said when Charlie asked if he had a chance to win, “You’ve got more, Charlie, because you want it more.” So keep on keeping on, always believe in yourself, and, bonus, you get to eat more chocolate along the way. But remember this, too: Charlie thought the Golden Ticket was lost to him. Several times. Others were winning. He cried himself to sleep. He was miserable. And then, he was a winner. Don’t give up. Your Golden Ticket is out there.
4. Take care of the little people.
Willy Wonka: Take Care of the Little People.
Wonka didn’t get to be who we was all on his own. No, he had help. But bigger than that, he felt a responsibility. The Oompa Loompas were more than his workers. They took care of him, and he took care of them. There were plenty of Wangdoodles and Hornswogglers and Snozzwangers and rotten Vermicious Knids out to get them. Going beyond the employer-employee scope, he gave the Oompa Loompas opportunity, safety, comfort, and shelter. Now that’s something to sing about, yah?
5. Don’t be a brat.
Willy Wonka: Tell Me Again What the World Owes You?
There were five Golden Ticket winners. Five kids and their guardians had the chance to inherit the kingdom. But four didn’t deserve it. Charlie didn’t either, truth be told. But Charlie did something the others didn’t: He ‘fessed up. He went to the source, apologized, and tried to make things better. The others laid claim without blame. That is, they took what they perceived as theirs, without consideration of how their acts would affect others. Charlie and Grandpa Joe went to Willy Wonka, returned the Everlasting Gobstopper, and expected to walk away empty-handed. Their sincerity won Willy Wonka over, and won them the lifetime supply of chocolate. See? There’s a reason your momma told you stop smacking your gum!
6. Just roll with it.
Willy Wonka: Just Roll With It.
Let’s face it: The Chocolate Factory is a magical place but there were some, uh, problems. Like Augustus Gloop going down the river and up the pipe. And Mike TeeVee transmitting himself into tiny particles. And Veruca and Violet with their all-about-me attitudes. Did any of that bother The Candy Man? Not at all. He thought, talked it out, delegated, and moved forward. That’s a recipe for sweet success!
7. Success doesn’t mean selling off the store.
Willy Wonka: Don’t Sell the Geese Who Laid the Golden Eggs.
When you find what works, hold onto it. Invest in it, protect it, grow it. But don’t give it up to the highest bidder. Success is a maintenance plan, not a service order.
8. Don’t forget who you are.
Willy Wonka: We Are the Music Makers, and We Are the Dreamers of Dreams.
Successful people know one thing: Who they are. They learn, grow, change, revert, detour, strive, push, pull . . . But they are always in motion. They may not always know where they’re going, or how they’ll get there.
But they believe in themselves. And their dreams.
And they’re the ones who get the sweet rewards.
Rest in Peace, Gene Wilder. Thank you for giving us the best of Willy Wonka.
Saturday, I had the opportunity to present “Growing Your Social Media Swarm” to the Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. I was excited to learn the audience also had non-writers interested in learning better building techniques.
One of the first slides in my presentation is one you’ve seen for years on this blog.
If you build it, they will come.
Remember back in the day when I revamped my blog, and my brother created this wonderful graphic for me? It’s years old, and it still thrills me.
It’s a reminder to take those steps toward better social media. “If you build it, they will come.”
Social media (emphasis on social) is more than just “look at me.” It’s a mutual support.
Many years ago (okay, we’re gonna pretend I didn’t use the word “many” here, okay? Thanks.) in college, I attended a reading and lecture by W. P. Kinsella, author of Shoeless Joe, which became the inspiration for the movie Field of Dreams. Mr. Kinsella and I spoke after, and he encouraged me to keep writing. “It’s a special gift that takes years,” he told me. “Don’t give up.” To this day, Field of Dreams is still one of my favorites.
When you place your focus on “social”, “media” is just the means by which you connect. As writers, we are the first generation to have instant worldwide access. [You can thank Al Gansky for that soundbite.] Why wouldn’t you want a piece of that pie?
Before building your social media platform, it’s important to know a few things:
Facebook and Twitter are da bomb. That’s where you’ll reach 100% of your target audience. The other sites are just icing on the cake.
What do you want to be known for? If it’s being a creative, design your posts to share creative ideas. If it’s business management, you may want to share ideas on personnel, budgeting, and the like.
Who do you want your target audience to be? This is the money shot. Find a unique way to present who you are with what you know, and you’ll be set.
Running a social media platform takes time. Effort. A little brain-powered creativity. Here’s the good news: You don’t have to do it alone.
Remember the emphasis on “social”? It works both ways. You want to share content to help connect you to a broader audience, right? Well, reverse that. Someone else out there has information and links you’re interested in. Find them, promote them. By sharing someone else’s posts and pages, you’ve still supplied your audience with information, while helping someone else gain status in the social media foray.
See? They built it, you came. Now it’s your turn. Build it, and they will come.
This is where I pat you on the back and say, “Good game. Now, go get ’em!”
