Patricia Reding's Blog - Posts Tagged "quills"

This months, we three Quills are sharing about "books we love."



Kristie Kiessling is up first. Kristie is the author of the short story, Sanguis Dei and of a poetry collection, Light and Dark. Kristie's blog is at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com.

When faced with the topic for this first Friday, Books We Love, I immediately considered the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, but a commentary or review of any of those would take far more than my allotted space. Besides, by now, everyone knows the tale because of the movies.

Instead, let me share with you my love for author Stephen Lawhead and his revisionary telling of the story of Robin Hood in his King Raven Trilogy consisting of Hood, Tuck and Scarlet.

In Hood, we are introduced to a young man--heir to his father's lands--who takes only his own pleasure seriously. When Norman invaders arrive and wreck havoc, he tries to buy back the land, but finds himself pursued, his life in danger. He abandons his father's kingdom and people and runs to hide in the greenwood. There, Bran ap Brychan discovers the old growth forest in Wales is more than meets his wayward eye. He must come to grips with the mystery of this living, breathing entity. More than that, he must claim it in order to survive and become what he is truly meant to be: no common thief as the Nomans think, but a man with a mission ordained by forces far beyond his ken.

Lawhead writes with enviable knowledge. His research is deep and reveals fresh, relatable insights to times gone by. He draws the reader into the intricacies of politics, intrigue and life of ancient times that are not so very different from our own. His writing reflects in subtle and clever ways on our modern ideals and behaviors. I enjoy reading his books more than once--the mark of a great author. When I do, I am drawn again into a kinship with my own Welsh ancestors and Lawhead makes me yearn for that rich past.

Robin Lythgoe is next. Robin is the author of As the Crow Flies and two short stories. Her website may be found at http://www.robinlythgoe.com.



The collection of books I like is pretty large, but the Books I Love are actually few. I considered Lawhead’s Hood, but Kristie nabbed that right up. No surprise, there! (And with good reason, too.) I talk about Tad Williams’s series, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn rather a lot, so it’s clearly time for something else. If you haven’t read the Damiano Books (I’ve also seen them in a one-volume set called Trio for a Lute) you are missing a real treat.

Damiano is set against the backdrop of the Italian Renaissance where faith-based magic is real. A wizard’s son, an innocent, a musician, Damiano is befriended and instructed by the archangel Raphael. To save his city from war, he sets out on a quest to find a powerful sorceress. Along the way he is beset by betrayal, disillusionment, and death—and still he must confront the power and darkness within himself in order to protect those he loves. Damiano wants to use his powers for good, yet he’s certain that since he’s a witch he’s automatically damned.

MacAvoy’s prose is beautifully lyrical, and her settings come alive with allusions to historical events, people, and society. The characters are real, they’re believable, and they face truly difficult issues. She has a talent for revealing how lovely, wonderful and terrible the world can be, and how difficult the struggle to know what’s right and wrong.

And finally, moi.



Recently I read a couple works I found worthy of including in my list of favorites: the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson and The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. In the Sanderson stories, characters “spin” magic via their use of different metals. In the Weeks stories, colors fuel the magic. I found only one real fault with Mistborn. While Sanderson drew a believable young female protagonist, she was not “whole” for me, perhaps because I found the relationships somewhat lacking. Having said that, the magic system is highly creative and great fun. As to the Lightbringer series, I found the characters fun and believable and the personal relationships, which are central to the story, satisfying and genuine. As a bonus I laughed out loud—fairly frequently.

As I consider these tales, I see a common denominator: each delivers a “new” world and unique magic. For Sanderson, it is the characters’ use of metals to “read” others’ emotions, bring about certain events, travel and communicate. For Weeks, it was the magic of colors to create things and the way those who wield the magic of different colors are prone to certain personality characteristics. These authors delivered something outside the standard fantasy tale (complete with a wizard and a troll and a fairy and an elf . . . and so on and so on). Each delivered a new kind of magic and a new category of fantasy character. Best of all, each opened a new world to me—a world in which I lost myself—if only for a time . . . .

Thank you for joining us. Please stop again!

This month, we three Quills are exploring the concept of self-editing.

Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, is up first. Her website is found at http://www.robinlythgoe.com.



Is it possible to self-edit your book? Yes, but…

It’s really hard to do it on your own! Kristie gives some excellent advice in her part of the panel—worth repeating, so read it again but with my voice in your head.

I recently read a best-selling novel written by an indie author who claimed to have run the manuscript several times through a couple of editors. The experience left me slack-jawed. I do not know if the editors (two of them!) were really that bad, or if the author simply didn’t implement their suggestions. Unfortunately, the former is all too possible. One can find many “editors” online, but that doesn’t mean they can actually do the work. The aforementioned one came with a website and all sorts of credentials, which leaves me wondering. A large portion of the errors could have been fixed “in house” if the author had followed Kristie’s advice, but…

This requires an author actually knowing what adverbs/adjectives are and how to use them, how to properly punctuate and spell, understanding point of view, recognizing the difference between active and passive voice, and so on. There are an astonishing number of authors who don’t, or who believe it doesn’t really matter. It does. Take the time to learn. A writer should always be learning. In addition to trade books, we get to read fiction! Lots of fiction! One of the coolest things about reading is how we start assimilating what we read: we learn how to spell and to punctuate, we pick up the rhythm of words in a tale, we learn how to weave a story.

There are several fantastic online editing aids available to you. Use those, too. Here are a few to get you started:

Grammarly http://www.grammarly.com/

Writing Dynamo http://dynamo.dictionary.com/writing-...

ProWritingAid http://prowritingaid.com/

Hemingway http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

AutoCrit Editing Wizard https://www.autocrit.com/index.php

Next, you need to form a good beta reader group (not less than three) to test your manuscript. Your readers should be in your target audience, forthright but tactful, not related to you, and regular readers (in your genre) that understand how a book is structured.

And finally, there are some very decent books to help you with self-editing:

Revision & Editing, by James Scott Bell http://www.amazon.com/Revision-Self-E...

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, 2n Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print, by Renni Browne and Dave King http://www.amazon.com/Self-Editing-Fi...

The Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers: 12 Ways to Take Your Book from Good to Great, by Bridget McKenna http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008...

Great advice, Robin!

Now for Kristie Kiessling. Kristie is the author of the short story, Sanguis Dei and of a poetry collection, Light and Dark. Kristie’s blog is found at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com.


Is it possible to self-edit your book?

YES! In fact, even if you hire an editor, you MUST be able to self-edit your book or you will be wasting money. As Kristen Lamb says, there are many editors who charge by the hour. Don't waste money on edits you can do yourself! If you hire an editor, you want him or her to be looking at the guts and glory, the meat and potatoes of your story not the dinnerware--in other words, don't have an editor clearing out overused adverbs and fixing repetitive, common errors that YOU can fix.

Site after site on the internet can help you self-edit well. USE them!

Just because you may hire an editor does not mean you won't be self-editing. Every writer must do some self-editing and if you, like me, can't afford an editor in the beginning for that first novel, don't be terrified. It isn't the end of the world. If you can write a good hook, you can edit that hook.

Here are just three of some of the many rules for the success of your first self-edit:

1--Put space between yourself and your work. Finish a story and give yourself a month to step away from it before you begin editing. Don't think about it, work on it or play with it.

2--Edit hard copy. Make changes right on the paper, look for continuity, frequently repeated words or common usage errors. It's all easier to see on paper without the danger of deleting something you might want to keep.

3--Read it out loud. Dialogue that looks good on the screen or on paper can sound campy, stilted or downright ridiculous when read out loud. This tip also helps with long, detailed sections of descriptions. If you get tired of reading it aloud, your readers will get tired of it, too.

It isn't easy, but it can be done. Stick to it! Check out these websites for more helpful tips on self-editing your novel. You'll find some great stuff in these pages:

http://www.stevenjcarroll.com/authors...

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthor...

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2...

Thank you, Kristie! There is some great advice there!

Finally, here are my thoughts.



Is it possible to edit your own work? I think so, though it is difficult. I direct your attention to some terrific resources my fellow Quills shared with you today. They address many potential pitfalls, all of which it is wise to address and consider. The one thing those resources do not address, however, is the possibility of losing your story for the sake of pleasing someone else.

I have conversed over the past few days with an author whose work I’ve read and very much enjoyed. I explained how I am going through another round of edits and have reached the point where I am changing things one way, then changing them back. (At this rate, I will never make it to the end.) I mentioned to him that I had others reading as beta readers. While they had only gone through the first few chapters, they had addressed critical issues. I cannot say enough how much I appreciate their time and effort on my behalf. Some of their ideas I adopted readily. Others, if I were to follow, would cause the entire story to fall apart. The author I mentioned explained to me how precisely that had happened to one of his earlier works. He changed things until the story was no longer his own—and no longer one he enjoyed or would share. It sits on a shelf where it collects dust. “We cannot write by committee,” he told me.

The author of a work is the only one with the big picture—the only one who sees how each meeting, each conversation fits into the whole. While there are all sorts of grammar rules, point of view issues and so forth that need to be addressed, there is also the author’s own voice and unique story to consider.

During my editing process, I picked up a best selling work by one of my favorite authors, one I’ve read several times and will probably read again. I discovered that of its 962 pages, I could easily cut 350 without changing the story one whit. How? I would remove repeated material and unnecessary adjectives and change passive voice to active—and that’s about it. According to the “rules,” the author had done a lot “wrong.” Still, I’ve read that book over and over and have enjoyed the story every single time—as have many others. In part, I enjoyed it because of the author’s own perspective and voice, its strengths and its “weaknesses.” This process reinforced something for me: some people will like my work, some will not.

So, can you edit your own work? Yes. Use the materials available and make it the best you can—but stay true to yourself. Tell your story, not someone else’s. Use your voice, not someone else’s. Follow your instincts—and then be prepared: some will like it, some will not.

Please join us for our group post again next month!

I am a bit late in posting our article for this month, but this time around, we three Quills decided to discuss how (or even whether) we use Pinterest as a resource for our writing.
First up is Kristie Kiessling. Here is what she has to say:

I have a bulletin board in my office. One glance at it and I can SEE college class schedules letting me know who is where any time of the day. I don't have to rifle through manilla folders in a file drawer for my dog's next vet appointment. I can always see the flower my daughter made for me when she was ten, the pictures of my kids I don't put in frames, the doohickeys and special things I like to keep in view. I even have an embroidery hoop and one of those magnetic gyro rail toys pinned to it.

My Pinterest boards are like that. If you look at my open boards you will see some of the many and varied things that I like to keep "before my eyes." I use this amazing tool to supplement my writing much the way Robin does (we are partners in this game, after all). I follow many white rabbits and fall down many virtual rabbit holes to leap out in places I never imagined I'd wind up. That is its beauty. As a writer, I see things in my head in brilliant technicolor before I write them down. Sometimes whole stories flash by and I can't type fast enough. I express myself in written words, but I think in images, in scenes and facial expressions and Pinterest helps me capture them. I have always wished that I could let others see just exactly what is in my head. Pinterest lets me do that. It also lets me wander the minds of artists who post their work on their boards. I can utilize their talents to show others how I see things in my stories and promote their work at the same time.

The process of discovery that goes along with the mechanics of saving pins to my boards is akin to working with art directors, special effects geniuses and award winning maestros. I am the producer and Pinterest my secretary. To pin is even easier than saying, "take this down." One image can be a place marker for realms of information. It's free to use and it is absolutely fantastic. I've only just begun to explore the endless realms of possibilities.

Visit my Sons of the Dead (http://www.pinterest.com/kriskiesslin...) board to get a glimpse of the characters in my work in progress.


Next up is Robin Lythgoe. What say you, Robin?

I love Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com). If you haven’t been to the site, it’s an awesome visual discovery tool. Sometimes I spend more time on the site than is practical, but it’s such a nifty, exciting site for so many reasons: You can admire beautiful pictures, learn amazing things, find heart-warming photos and stories, laugh at memes, and collect all kinds of ideas. ALL kinds.

For readers and writers it’s an excellent place to share ideas.

As an author, I gather visual story research: interesting places and people, buildings, maps, customs… The neat thing about this is that readers can look through these pictures and gain some insight about the world where a book is set. How cool is that? Check out my board for “As the Crow Flies” and you—yes, you!—can see what Crow and Tanris look like. You can see the moors they crossed, and the dragons atop the temple pillars. Go look, I’ll wait. Here’s the link: http://www.pinterest.com/robinlythgoe....

I also have inspiration boards for characters, landscapes, armor, castles, dragons (of course), and fantasy-related things. When the reader looks at these pictures I’ve collected, they get a peek into the way I’m thinking. What’s more, they can contribute, too, and get involved in the process of creation. How? Pinterest has it covered. They’ve provided a button at the top of a pin (picture) that says “Send.” Click on it, add a message giving your thoughts (“This would fit as the temple in Hasiq perfectly!”), and type in the author’s name or email address. Voilá. Couldn’t be easier. And many authors have a “follow me on Pinterest” link on their websites, so you can track them down even when they’re using tricky names.

I love looking at the pictures people send to me and hearing their ideas. It’s wonderful to discover how they’re seeing things, and it’s a great help for developing even more stories. So what do you think the Temple of Nadimesh looks like? Show me! I can’t wait to see!


Finally, I have just a few thoughts.

The truth is that I've used Pinterest to date, but aside from pinning pics of great clothing or of fabulous shoes--including unique men's shoes (come on, you can't tell me the pics below aren't incredible!), I have only used Pinterest to pin copies of covers that have caught my eye, and covers of works I've read and reviewed.

So, I have not used Pinterest as a tool for discovering images I might use in my writing--whether because they provide a creative flair from which I may draw, or because they can prompt other thoughts. I do find both Kristie and Robin's ideas to be very good ones, however, and will seriously consider adopting this tool for future use. (I admit that one reason I have not done so to date is because I get lost for far too long on Pinterest without accomplishing anything!)

I will add one teeny thought here and that is that I will soon be attending a Continuing Legal Education seminar on the use of materials owned by others on social media sites including Pinterest. If I learn anything of particular use for other authors at that time, I may just post a follow-up to this blog article!

Are you a writer? Do you use Pinterest? If so, please let us know what creative ways you have found to make use of this terrific tool.

This month, we Quills are presenting indie reads we've enjoyed.



Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, is up first today. Here is what she has to say:

Lindsay Buroker is a wonderful talent in the Indie Author world. If you haven’t read her stuff, you’re missing out. She’s a fantasy writer and has works in the steampunk and urban categories. Either way, she’s good at what she does, which is writing fast-paced novels with intriguing characters, clever dialogue, wry humor, well-developed settings, and sparks flying—romantic, rhetoric, and magic. Hers was the first steampunk I ever read, and while the notion sounded interesting, I was a little dubious. Magic and Victorian-style technology? Hmm…

Read more at: http://robinlythgoe.blogspot.com/2014....

Kristie Kiessling is on hiatus this month, so that leaves me up next. Here are my thoughts:

With so many new books published each day, it can be difficult choosing something to read, but one genre I like to read and review from time to time, is fantasy for young readers. I enjoy the worlds created and I look for those reads I would have passed on to my children when they were middle-graders. There are a number of prerequisites for me: the works may not promote behavior I think objectionable for the young reader and they must be grammatically sound. Of course, it always helps if they offer a good dose of humor. One work that met all these requirements (and it was one I quite enjoyed) is The Silver Strand, by L. J. Clarkson.

Find out more at http://www.oathtaker.com/patricias-bl....

It is time for the October posting for:




First up, is Joshua Grasso, professor of English Literature, and the author of The Count of the Living Death and The Astrologer's Portrait, both available on Amazon.



My ideas always come from the same source: usually a work of art, but sometimes, a stray moment or character from an old book. As a professor, I spend even more time than most people in books, and my teaching and research requires me to delve into all kinds of documents: epic poems, Renaissance art, odd biographies, scientific treatises, revenge tragedies, etc. As a teacher/scholar I’m looking for context for a paper or to explain something in class; as a writer, however, my eyes are alert for some small, teasing detail that suggests a larger narrative. I always believe the best material is just waiting for you to stumble over, though if you look/read too myopically, you’ll scatter the riches lying at your feet.

Read more at: http://www.oathtaker.com/patricias-bl....


Next up is Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies.

Inspiration comes at me from every direction! Music, other books, news, dreams, conversation, pictures, quotes, you name it! Any of those things can easily set me to wondering how one of my characters might react or how the setting or culture or plot could be changed by employing the “what if” factor. They can spark ideas for new characters and settings, or generate an idea to help me fix problems. In fact…

Read more at: http://robinlythgoe.blogspot.com/2014....


Kristie Kiessling, author of Sanguis Dei and a poetry collection, Light and Dark, also chimed in.

My story ideas come largely from life. As a young poet of five, I heard my kindergarten teacher say, "Write about what you love and what you know." Write What You Know has become a motto for me. I delve into the people I know, the place where I live, the situations and dramas around me to provide the fodder for my lyrical and literary creations. It is very simple, really. I'm a woman, an artist, a mother, a wife--all these things are in large part instinctual for me. The visceral manner in which I respond to everything I come in contact with inspires me. Emotion and reaction is key. If something moves me, then . . .

Read more at: http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com/....

Finally, I have a few words . . .

My ideas come from numerous sources. Perhaps most notable are those bits of wisdom I’ve come upon over the years, either from some third party, or via some inspiration (or revelation, as the case may be). I like to take these gems and create characters out of them, or use them to move a character through my story or to draw and shape the world in which my stories are told. Sometimes I can use them “as is.” Other times . . .

Read more at http://www.oathtaker.com/patricias-bl....

This month we Quills write about the event known as NaNoWriMo. I'm up first!

I admit I’ve never participated in the event known as NaNoWriMo. I can’t even pronounce it, and I have to check other sources for how to spell it every time I need to use the word, or acronym, or whatever it is. Suffice it to say, I don’t know much about it. Still, from what I’ve heard, it sounds like an amazing venture . . .



The closest I’ve ever come to a NaNoWriMo effort was during a summer week when the rest of my family went camping. Blissfully alone (and, I confess, not lonely), I set out to write the opening of my new story . . .

Read more at http://www.oathtaker.com/patricias-bl....



Next is Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies.


You may also have noticed that it is November, and November means NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). While Patricia is off flitting about the countryside, Kristie and I are knee-deep into the crazy, wonderful writing frenzy that is NaNoWriMo.

Do you know what that means? Hundreds of thousands of people around the world leap headlong into the challenge of writing a novel (50,000 words long!) in thirty days. (Though if I wrote through Thanksgiving Day, I would probably be stuffed and roasted!)

Read more at http://robinlythgoe.blogspot.com/2014....



Finally, Kristie Kiessling, author of Sanguis Dei, chimes in . . .

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month is upon us! If it's possible that you've never heard of it, the NaNoWriMo website says this:

"National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel by 11:59:59 PM on November 30."

Sound crazy? You bet! But it's wonderful, too. Why?

Read more at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com/....

Thank you for joining us!

Having taken a hiatus from posting for the Quills in December, I note that the old year is now behind us (and I cannot say I am sorry about that) and 2015 begins. What better way to move forward than to join my fellow Quills in a treasure hunt. Our search will take us through our book shelves. So, here goes!

First up, is Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies.



Rummaging through my bookshelves (both physical and digital) makes me feel like a dragon admiring its treasure. I have silver and gold, precious jewels, priceless collections of beautiful words at my very fingertips! The hardest part of this task? Getting sidetracked. I want to read this! No, this one! And that one, too! Oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve read ! I got so sidetracked, in fact, that it took me three attempts to collect the actual goodies.

Read more at http://robinlythgoe.blogspot.com/2015....

Next comes Kristie Kiessling, author of Sanguis Dei.



I wonder what she found in her book shelves . . . ?

A Scavenger Hunt is fine for parties and kids in college. What we have here is a Scavenger Hunt involving books, and therefore, I deem it a Snark Hunt! Since I am often easily charmed with smiles and soap ... I endeavored to find ONE book with all ten.

When that didn't work . . .

Read more at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com/....

Finally, I found some interesting things. So, let's begin!

A book with the letter “J” - This one is fairly easy—Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Oh yes, I know, the full name is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but most refer to it by its shortened name. This is a great read, showing . . .

Read more at http://www.oathtaker.com/patricias-bl....

It is March already and in my neck of the woods, in came in with a mighty roar! Notwithstanding what goes on around us, however, this first Friday of the month marks the day for we Quills to post a joint blog article. This month we are sharing thoughts on “books we love.”

Welcome and thank you for reading.



Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, is up first.

My grandmother used to call me “Robin the Hood” when I was very little. I was understandably confused—and then I learned about the legendary Robin Hood. The nickname became something of a badge of honor, though I have no idea why she would compare me to a thief. I was innocent! Naturally, I read and watched several versions of the tale, but when I read Lady of the Forest, by Jennifer Roberson, I fell in love.

Read more at http://robinlythgoe.blogspot.com/2015....



Next comes Kristie Kiessling, author of Sanguis Dei.

In 1995 an author team wrote Relic, a murder mystery/suspense novel about the New York Museum of Natural History in which paying customers to the museum wind up brutally murdered in the dark corridors and closed off rooms. Graduate student, Margo Green, believes the murderer might not be human.

Read more at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com/....

Finally, I have a little to say . . .

While I love to read fantasy, I have not selected a fantasy story to share. Rather, I am going back in time to a great and timeless classic. Specifically, my choice is Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo.

I’ve heard people over the years say they gave up on Les Miserables, as a difficult read. I suppose there is something to that. Yet I consider it the most incredibly beautiful tale ever written—the story, sure—but even more so, the manner in which it is told. It is like poetry—no . . . music . . .

Read more at http://www.oathtaker.com/patricias-bl....

This month, we three Quills have selected the following topic: What unusual holiday celebrations (of independence or otherwise) do you use in your novels or writing?

Robin Lythgoe, the author of As the Crow Flies, has the following to offer . . .



I love the depth of creation behind world-building: the nitty-gritty, the if-this-then-that, the marriage of reality to imagination, the glimpses into the author's head. Adding holidays to a setting is a wonderful way to increase the dimension of our worlds, to help readers feel connected to the Storie. Holidays (or days of observance) are uniquely human celebrations. In speculative fiction we have the freedom to broaden the baseline with other intelligent species . . .

Read more on Robin's site at http://robinlythgoe.com/fictional-hol....

Kristie Kiessling, author of Sanguis Dei, is currently away.



Read more about Kristie and her work on her site at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com.

Finally, I have a bit to say . . .



I so enjoy the use of holidays and celebrations in fantasy tales. The festive environment adds an interesting aspect to the world created. I've seen such events used as backdrops when close personal relationships are formed, or as a means for hiding the dastardly deeds in which some parties engage. Having said that, I've not used any holidays myself, though I did . . .

Read more on my site at http://www.patriciareding.com/blog-in...

Greetings! Thank you for joining we Quills this month as we explore books we love.



Kristie Kiessling, author of Sanguis Dei, is currently unavailable, but you can find out more about Kristie on her site at http://kristiekiessling.blogspot.com.

That means that Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, is up next. So, Robin, what books do you love?

When I was a little girl, about ten years old, one of my book-loving big sisters gave me the book Scarlet Sails, by Alexander Green/Grin (Aleksandr Stepanovich Grinevskii in his native Russia). I knew nothing at all of his popularity in his country and would probably not have been impressed at such a tender age. Nothing about the book cover lured me to explore between the covers. But… it was a book. And, since I got it for my birthday, it must be a special book.

Read more from Robin at http://robinlythgoe.com/books-we-love....

It seems that childhood favorites is the theme this month. Thus, I have a book to share with you . . .

I came from a very big family. That is not so unusual for someone in my age group, but when I say “big family, I am laying claim to a rather exceptional one in that I have seven—yes, count them, seven—sisters. If that wasn’t enough, the age span from oldest to youngest is only ten and a half years. We grew up in the middle of pretty much “nowhere,” and had to find ways to entertain ourselves. We’d take out our instruments and have parades, play “Harriet the Spy” and spy on one another—complete with our spy notebooks, and we acted out plays. We also drew “moving picture” stories of books we loved. Essentially, this was to take a long roll of paper and draw the scenes end-to-end, then roll them out to show-and-tell the story. One of our favorites was Mio, My Son, by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, first published in 1954. That book got passed back and forth between us all—repeatedly. Curious many years later about what it was that had so attracted our attention as children, I tracked down a copy and had another “look-see.”

Read more at http://www.patriciareding.com/blog-in....