Ask the Author: Joseph Carrabis
Answered Questions (15)
Joseph Carrabis
As I tell people I write autobiography, any and all. Example: A triple murder in Maine is the basis for a work-in-progress (completed and waiting review), "Search."
Joseph Carrabis
Hello and thanks for asking.
I was unaware of Eisler and her work as her work until reading your question. I'm familiar with that model from evolutionary studies, behavioral mechanics and such, and never knew of Eisler - obviously my education is lacking!
However, I've gladly added added it to my reading list.
It's funny, really. I'm sure I have Nurturing Our Humanity or an extremely similar title on my "To Read" shelf (a physical shelf of physical books). I would not have missed reading her if I'd encountered her before.
Many thanks for broadening my horizons, sincerely. Muchly appreciated.
Thanks,
Joseph
I was unaware of Eisler and her work as her work until reading your question. I'm familiar with that model from evolutionary studies, behavioral mechanics and such, and never knew of Eisler - obviously my education is lacking!
However, I've gladly added added it to my reading list.
It's funny, really. I'm sure I have Nurturing Our Humanity or an extremely similar title on my "To Read" shelf (a physical shelf of physical books). I would not have missed reading her if I'd encountered her before.
Many thanks for broadening my horizons, sincerely. Muchly appreciated.
Thanks,
Joseph
Joseph Carrabis
Hello and thanks for reaching out. Sorry I missed the free download. I'm probably not the best audience for you book, though. My suggestion would be to look for travel writing groups here in Goodreads. They'd be better than I at reviewing your book.
Joseph Carrabis
And thanks to you, Keith! People who want to know Keith's Authoring Story can see his interview on Wednesday, 31 Jan 2018. Look for "Overcoming Adversity through Love and Sports" on http://www.josephcarrabis.com
Joseph Carrabis
Thanks, Keith!
It was a great interview. I'll start promoting it this week and continue. Stay tuned!
It was a great interview. I'll start promoting it this week and continue. Stay tuned!
Joseph Carrabis
Karl, thanks for your question.
I am, too, boring!
Thanks for liking my ease of word usage. One of my favorite quotes is "Some people have a way with words. Others not have way." I laugh every time I read that.
The 30m interview...Great question...(searching for witty response)...Seriously, I wanted something that would allow for actual dialogue/discussion. Short interviews aren't really interviews so much as sales pitches, a minute or so of "Hey, I just wrote this book and ..." and such don't interest me. More than 30m seemed too long for most people to sit through unless there is something amazing going on (I always shoot for amazing. Tough to do when you're boring to begin with).
My original goal for these interviews was for me to meet talented people I can learn from. The folks who've come forward are amazingly talented and not well known (amazing in itself). One of the requirements for being interviewed is sending me some of a work in progress so I can get an idea of writing style, method, et cetera, and I'm blown away by the quality of the work I'm getting.
I keep asking myself "Why aren't these people on best sellers' lists?" so I've added a second goal, not eclipsing the first and in line with it; get the word out about these people. They're good and they deserve to be known.
So there you go.
And I am, too, boring.
I am, too, boring!
Thanks for liking my ease of word usage. One of my favorite quotes is "Some people have a way with words. Others not have way." I laugh every time I read that.
The 30m interview...Great question...(searching for witty response)...Seriously, I wanted something that would allow for actual dialogue/discussion. Short interviews aren't really interviews so much as sales pitches, a minute or so of "Hey, I just wrote this book and ..." and such don't interest me. More than 30m seemed too long for most people to sit through unless there is something amazing going on (I always shoot for amazing. Tough to do when you're boring to begin with).
My original goal for these interviews was for me to meet talented people I can learn from. The folks who've come forward are amazingly talented and not well known (amazing in itself). One of the requirements for being interviewed is sending me some of a work in progress so I can get an idea of writing style, method, et cetera, and I'm blown away by the quality of the work I'm getting.
I keep asking myself "Why aren't these people on best sellers' lists?" so I've added a second goal, not eclipsing the first and in line with it; get the word out about these people. They're good and they deserve to be known.
So there you go.
And I am, too, boring.
Joseph Carrabis
I came up with two:
"It was a dark and stormy night. The storm in his heart, the darkness in his mind and he spent all night chuckling contentedly at photographs of those who would pay."
and
"The wolf broke from the dense green foliage, knocking Red to the forest floor, branches and rocks piercing and punching her back as the wolf's weight held her down. It buried its teeth in her throat and she laughed, "That was your first mistake.""
1) Thanks for including me in this exercise.
2) I think they're both a tad cliched.
3) My editor, who describes my work with "Joseph's stories always have two things: a deep understanding of psychology and something about love, being loved, loving someone or something." She chose the second offering because "I can think of what happens next." Everybody else chose the first because they had no idea of what was going to happen next.
And I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.
"It was a dark and stormy night. The storm in his heart, the darkness in his mind and he spent all night chuckling contentedly at photographs of those who would pay."
and
"The wolf broke from the dense green foliage, knocking Red to the forest floor, branches and rocks piercing and punching her back as the wolf's weight held her down. It buried its teeth in her throat and she laughed, "That was your first mistake.""
1) Thanks for including me in this exercise.
2) I think they're both a tad cliched.
3) My editor, who describes my work with "Joseph's stories always have two things: a deep understanding of psychology and something about love, being loved, loving someone or something." She chose the second offering because "I can think of what happens next." Everybody else chose the first because they had no idea of what was going to happen next.
And I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.
Joseph Carrabis
You think I'm going to tell everybody? Who wants to be bothered by all the tourists? And think what'll happen to real estate prices.
Ah, but when I'm there, I take notes.
Ah, but when I'm there, I take notes.
Joseph Carrabis
Write. When you're not writing, read. When you're reading, read to learn what works and what doesn't (and not just what you like and don't like). Practice taking stories/paragraphs/chapters/poems you really like and writing them from memory. Don't copy words, copy mood, tone, timing, pacing, atmosphere, character, voice, ...
If you're an author, read poetry and listen to song lyrics to learn rhythm and imagery. If you write fiction, read history, biography, diaries and journals. Listen to how people speak. Go to a mall or park or museum or just walk through your town and watch how people express themselves, then capture it in words. If you live in a city spend time in a small country town and document how people are different. If you live in a small country town go to a city and ditto.
If you're a non-fiction writer, read philosophy and political studies. Watch how events shape people and vice versa. Document what gets people to act, why and when. Listen to people's discussions to get their speech patterns and natural rhythms, their language uses and inflections, and then create dialogue based on what you've learned.
And in all things, practice, practice, practice.
If you're an author, read poetry and listen to song lyrics to learn rhythm and imagery. If you write fiction, read history, biography, diaries and journals. Listen to how people speak. Go to a mall or park or museum or just walk through your town and watch how people express themselves, then capture it in words. If you live in a city spend time in a small country town and document how people are different. If you live in a small country town go to a city and ditto.
If you're a non-fiction writer, read philosophy and political studies. Watch how events shape people and vice versa. Document what gets people to act, why and when. Listen to people's discussions to get their speech patterns and natural rhythms, their language uses and inflections, and then create dialogue based on what you've learned.
And in all things, practice, practice, practice.
Joseph Carrabis
Neurologic
Suttree
Bastard Tongues
Enlightening Symbols
Consciousness and the Social Brain
The Brain that Changes Itself
Leading Great Meetings
The Complete Mark Twain
(and about half a dozen others as time allows)
Suttree
Bastard Tongues
Enlightening Symbols
Consciousness and the Social Brain
The Brain that Changes Itself
Leading Great Meetings
The Complete Mark Twain
(and about half a dozen others as time allows)
Joseph Carrabis
Tales Told 'Round Celestial Campfires? Well, as I write in the Author's Foreword, everything in the book is true and actually happened, so it wasn't a matter of getting an idea, only documenting what was already happening.
Joseph Carrabis
I live. Anybody who's been alive has plenty to write about.
Joseph Carrabis
Reading Virtual Minds Volume 2: Experience and Expectation
Joseph Carrabis
Writer's Block is a conflict between the author's conscious and non-conscious for control of the story, so I consciously stop writing (not writing anyway so might as well relieve the frustration) and take time to let my non-conscious and conscious work it out.
Sometimes this involves going over the last part of the story that I was happy with, thinking about what I was going to write next but can't and relaxing myself to let what wants to come out come out. Other times I read something irrelevant to the story I'm working on, other times I get out and go for a walk, bike ride or drive, preferably on back country roads.
The point is to accept that the writer's block is a signal and to pay attention to the signal. If your body signals you you're having a heart attack you pay attention or die, correct? So when your story signals you that it's about to die, pay attention.
Sometimes this involves going over the last part of the story that I was happy with, thinking about what I was going to write next but can't and relaxing myself to let what wants to come out come out. Other times I read something irrelevant to the story I'm working on, other times I get out and go for a walk, bike ride or drive, preferably on back country roads.
The point is to accept that the writer's block is a signal and to pay attention to the signal. If your body signals you you're having a heart attack you pay attention or die, correct? So when your story signals you that it's about to die, pay attention.
Joseph Carrabis
I get to tell the truth about things.
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