The Power of Storytelling

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How many of you know this joke:

 Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence, Pete fell off and who was left. Repeat.

It’s funny and annoying at the same time. Especially, when it takes the person a while to get it.

I’m restating this:

Think and Rethink were sitting on fence, Think fell off and who was left. Rethink.

Rethink. That’s what I’ve been doing about my blog and my writing career. In the cross stitch community, when someone has loses their passion for stitching, we say they lost their “Stitchy Bug” and they ask for help to get it back. Especially when you have a BAP (Big A$$ Project) to get done. I have one of those affectionately known as the Damn Dog.

I don’t feel blocked exactly. I just feel “bleh.” I want to do another Philippa Marlowmellow mystery, because they’re fun. I know how the antagonist is going to kill mallows, but I don’t know why. The why is pretty important. I finished the first draft of my young adult novel, “The Insignificant Amy Dodd,” and was excited about starting the edits and revisions. It’s sitting on my desk staring at me.
There is so much more to a writing career than sitting and writing. You have to market, sell, sell, sell. I am not good at that part. I’m trying, but there is not enough time in my day to do it all. It’s so overwhelming. If I had a million bucks, I would hire a publicists. 
So back to “rethink.”  Printed stories have their roots in the oral tradition of storytelling. Information was passed from one person to another. Histories were kept, and some were just plain fun. 
I come from a background of storytelling. I fell in love with the art when I was on a business trip in Johnson City, Tennessee. I saw flyers about the festival and asked a co-worker. I was intrigued by what he told me and I went to the festival that year. I was mesmerized. Three storytellers stood out to me that trip, Jay O’Callahan, Sid Lieberman and Barbara McBride-Smith. Barbara McBride-Smith told Greek myths with a twist that would have you laughing. She is from Oklahoma and telling those tales with a southern accent had you laughing so hard you would pee in your pants. Sid Lieberman told Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart” that had shivers going down my spine, But my favorite is Jay O’Callahan. His stories take you to his world, entertains you, and brings you back. It’s amazing.

From: Sladen, Douglas. “Oriental Cairo: the city of the ‘Arabian Nights'”. J.B. Lippincott Company: Philadelphia and Hurst & Blackett, Ltd.: London, 1911. p 28.

I tried to be a storyteller, but my anxiety would get the best of me. I once did a story telling gig at a festival. I had an hour. I was done in thirty minutes.

In storytelling, you don’t exactly memorize the story, but you know the story inside and out. You practice, practice and practice with recording your voice and in front of a mirror. I hated the sound of my recorded voice, and standing in front of a mirror- forget that. In that moment I knew I wanted to a story creator, not a storyteller.

I know we have to market to get our names out there. I know I have to Tweet, Facebook, and all the other stuff, but I want to do more than push my books. I want to engage with my readers. I want to get to know them. I want them to get to know me. I want to have a relationship. I’m going to do my best at marketing, but I am not going to worry about that anymore. My focus is going to be creating a good story.

I have included a couple of links about Jay O’Callahan. One talks about the power of storytelling, and the other is one of stories. It’s from the Pill Hill collection, which is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them.
#storytelling #writing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jehYhlYY3Lw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvpoRKy3Y4U&index=9&list=PLNpKL37TBwvC2dGZbBWZiiZRM88q4Xaz7

Evolution of a Writer – Part 3 Balance

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I’ve learned a valuable lesson in these past few weeks. I need to take time out to relax. Many of you may say, “ookay” like it’s the most normal thing in the world. For those that know me well, are aware of my tendency not to say “no.”

Friend: “Lisa can you do this for me?” I have fifteen other things I need to do. “Sure!” I say and I really mean it. I want to do this for my friend. They need help. I love helping people. My problem is I don’t ask for help in return and I know my friends would do that for me. I get overscheduled and overwhelmed, stressed and freaked out. Not good for anyone.

I’m a wife, mom, writer, have a regular job, musician, housekeeper, laundress, cook, and book keeper, and whatever anyone else needs me to be and do. I over scheduled myself and sometimes over book. Guess what? It doesn’t work.

I got myself into a situation where I was running full out on all burners and guess what? I ran out of fuel and ended up in the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack.  The doctors monitored my heart rate, and did a nuclear stress test. (I’m still waiting on my super powers). I was so stressed out. My daughter’s sleepover birthday party was the next evening and we had been planning it for a while. My husband and son had plans that had been in place for a month. I seriously didn’t have time for this. I was over scheduled. Thank God it wasn’t a heart attack., but instead of resting like I probably should have, I did the party (simplified) and I made my husband keep his plans. The girls were great  and well behaved so it was all good.

While I was in the hospital I had a lot of time to think. I  have a lot on my plate. I overschedule myself thinking, “I’m superwoman. I can do anything. I can write, work, take care of my family, practice my bass, volunteer. I can do it all. I learned the hard way I can’t. I have to take that time to de-stress. To decompress. I believe my writing suffers if I don’t.

My sister took a class on how to learn. She was telling me when we wind down, our brains rest and go into that diffuse thinking mode where ideas abound. I was in the shower the other day, and so relaxed, I figured out how my antagonist is going to be killing off mallows in the next Philippa Marlowmellow adventure. It’s going to be fun.

So, as I learn to decompress and de-stress, what are some of the ways you balance your career and family? Let me know. I could use a few ideas. 🙂

Mallow Mayhem…Not a children’s story

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You know how you put your heart and soul into a story and it turns better than expected than you expected? That is the birth story of Mallow Mayhem. The story started out as a writing exercise that got away from me. I’ve told this story before, so I’m not going to bore you with the details. I was excited when I got the cover art. It was beautiful. Exactly what I wanted. The silhouette payed homage to Alfred Hitchcock, just like I wanted. I got it back from the editor, made my corrections and I was ready to send my little chick out into the world. 
It’s a fun story written in the noir genre with strippers, prostitutes, kidnappings, drugs, and mob bosses who live in the bad part of Mallowtown named the “Pink.” It’s as fun to read as it was to write. 
I’m planning on more adventures with Philippa. I love writing her stories. I hope you will love her too. You can read an excerpt on my webiste at Lisahaman.com  http://amzn.to/1DVH8rG 
#notapeep, #peepnoir, #humor, #parody 

The Mallows Are Coming! Cover Release! Philippa Marlowmellow in Mallow Mayhem!

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The Mallows are coming! February 28, 2015! I am so excited! Philippa Marlowmellow in Mallow Mayhem is almost ready! This is a fun short story inspired by a diorama of the Peeps candy. It was so fun to write. This piece started as a writing exercise that got away from me. Five hundred words turned into 3000. The story literally came pouring out. My writing group loved it, and encouraged me to publish it. So after some cleaning up and editing, I have a fun short story. Philippa has more adventures to come.

An excerpt is available on my website, Lisahaman.com. Here is a link to  http://bit.ly/1MxvNAt

Philippa Marlowmellow, a private chick working the seedy underbelly of Mallowtown known as the Pink, takes on a missing mallow case of one Jenny Bunny. With her mallow senses tingling, Philippa finds more that the missing mallow. To save her city and rescue Jenny, Phillipa must take on the mobster, Big Bunny, and solve the most notorious case in Mallowtown history.

You can’t trust anyone in the Pink.

Kayelle Allen of The Author’s Secret did the cover and it is amazing. Just what I had in mind. Here is a link to their site.  https://theauthorssecret.com/

Inspiration: Weird and Wonderful

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Story ideas come from all over the place. With me, it can come from the strangest places. Several years ago I  entered a contest with a local book store with several of my poems. One of my poems won. The prize, a place in the anthology, and a book signing. It was so much fun. I felt like a “real” poet. The inspiration for that winning piece – a toilet paper commercial. Maybe I’ll share the poem one day.
Peeps are the inspiration for my new short story. My writing group does writing exercises every other week. One week, and I know I’ve told this story before, we had to write 500 words on a picture we posted on our Facebook page. I chose this picture.
This picture just cracked me up You would not believe the dioramas people do with peeps.(I saw one about Soylent Green and it said they eat Peeple.) and I was inspired to write my 500 words. The 500 grew to be 3000, and a short story was born. I apologized for the length when I submitted the piece, but the story just kept flowing out of my head and onto the paper. I was blown away when everyone in the group loved it. They encouraged me to clean it up and publish. The original title was “The Case of the Missing Peep,” but after doing some research, I found out I couldn’t use “Peep,” because of the trademark, so I made some changes. The changes worked and “Mallow Mayhem” was born. 
I’m in the process of having the story edited, and my cover is being created. The reveal will be coming soon.  In February look for “Philippa Marlowmellow in Mallow Mayhem.” You can’t trust anyone in The Pink. I’m very excited about it. 
I never know where my next idea may come from. Another toilet commercial? A picture posted on my Facebook page or Twitter account? Or maybe something my children say. You just never know. Keep your eyes and ears open because there are stories everywhere.
What is your weirdest inspiration for a story. Let me know. Post on my Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Haman-Author/522681927846776. It will be interesting to see what everyone says.

New Logo! New Website! Yippee!

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Meet the phoenix – my new logo. Isn’t it pretty! I have always been fascinated by the mythology of the phoenix. A bird that resurrects from its ashes, being reborn time and time again. That’s how I feel throughout different phases of my life. I grow and am reborn- hopefully into a much better person. That’s my goal. 
Writing is the same way. As we figure out who we want to be as a writer, we go through that rebirth. We build the nest and are comfortable in who we are, only to find out we have to burn it and become something new. Something better. And we rise from the ashes. 
How many have you done that in life. Rose from the ashes of something less to be stronger. A better person than you were before? 
Yes, this is a short post today. I wanted to introduce you to my new logo, and invite you to visit my website LisaHaman.com to see its new look. I want to thank Kayelle Allen of the Author’s Secret, theauthorssecret.com for my lovely new logo.
I found this great video on YouTube. I love the images and the music.  The title is The Mythology of the Phoenix? I hope you enjoy.

Evolution Of A Writer – 2015 All In!

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By Michal Osmenda (Flickr: It’s Christmas time) 
[CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It’s New Years Day and I got up early (I’m so not a morning person) and am at Starbucks trying to get out my first post of the New Year. It’s very distracting at home with the hubby and kids. I stayed up too late and got up too early, so I hope I make sense. After doing a lot of pondering, I have decided on a few writing goals for 2015.

The first thing I realized was I was still in “writing as a hobby” mode and didn’t acknowledge it. I was “trying out the water,” so to speak. You know, dipping that toe in to see if the water is to cold. I was writing, and trying to get my marketing info in place. I have a website, mailing list, Twitter account, etc. I did all the “right” things, but I still hadn’t made that jump. That fear I talked about in one of my previous posts raised its ugly head.

 
“I can’t do this.”
“This is too hard.”
“I’m not good enough or smart enough.”
“I’m not a good writer.”
These are the thoughts that go through my head when I think about going “all in.” Very self-defeating, and if I want to be a writer, they have to go.
I’m reading a book titled, Excuses Begone! by  Dr. Wayne Dyer. It’s a very interesting book about reprogramming your thought processes to get past the excuses and live a fruitful and excuse free life. It wasn’t my idea to read this book. It was suggested by a health care provider and I’m glad I did. Although, I don’t agree with everything Dr. Dyer says, the premise is a good one. I’m going to be implementing his excuses be gone premise and come to this point in my writing career with passion and creativity.
So, what am I going to do about it? Well….number 1- get a logo. My friend, Kayelle Allen of The Author’s Secret https://theauthorssecret.com is helping me design a logo for myself. It’s gong to be nice. I will reveal it when we are done. We are also going to update my website. There are things that I want to do and offer that I can’t with the way things are now.
I’m going to become an LLC and be a business. As much as I love writing, I need to separate part of it from my home finances. It will be easier that way. This is the part that scares me the most. This makes it more than a hobby. it makes it my job, and therefore, I have to do it. This makes it real. And exciting. And REALLY exciting. I could use adverbs until the cows come home, but you get the meaning.
I’m going to blog more. I don’t know about what yet. Well, I do know my next blog post will be about the release of my upcoming short story in February. I’m REALLY excited about that too.

I need to be better at time management. That is where I get most of my excuses.

“I got this new job and I don’t have time.”
“I have to do stuff for my family.”
“I don’t have time because…..”
Well, I did have to get a job, but I can write.
I do have to do stuff for my family, but I can still write.
I don’t have time, but I do. I can make time to write.
I have so many stories that want to be told and I want to write every one of them. I want to be all in. So in 2015, I’m taking the plunge. Putting all my chips on the table Going all in. I’m not a  hobby writer. I’m a professional writer. That is my goal. And with the help of God, my family and friends, I will be a good one.
Here’s to a wonderful writing 2015!

My Ghost Stories

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Image courtesy of  Flickr/slworking2

Ghosties, and ghoulies and goblins galore,
Come All Hallows Eve to knock on your door.
Tricksters and treaters travel with care
For monsters abound so you better beware.

I love ghost stories. Let me rephrase that: I love “true” ghost stories. I love watching “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Adventures,” and “The Dead Files.”  In fact, I’m watching an episode of “Ghost Hunters” as I am writing this. I don’t know if I could go on a ghost hunt, but I have seen things that cannot be explained. Because of my interest in the paranormal, I am planning a series of books with a teenage heroine who investigates things that go bump in the night. I’m excited about that. So, I thought I would tell you my ghost stories on this Halloween. These stories are true.

 grew up in a  two story brick colonial house in a quiet neighborhood. It was a new subdivision, so our house was brand new. About two houses down on top of a hill was a family grave plot that dated back to the 1860’s-1870’s. The people who owned the property destroyed headstones and used the enclosed plot as a burn pit. We weren’t allowed to play with their kids.

When I was young, I woke up in the middle of the night. My bed was facing my closet and the door was open. I saw a pair of eyes staring at me. I was old enough to know what was real and what wasn’t. I closed my eyes, shook my head and opened my eyes again. They were still there. I closed my eyes again, shook my head and opened my eyes. The eyes were staring at me. I was terrified. I called out to my mom and dad. They came into my room and looked in the closet. Nothing was there – not even our cat. To this day, I will not sleep with my closet door open.

My sister has had a couple of experiences in that room as well. One of her stuffed animals rolled over by itself next to her. It creeped her out. Also, she had a dark figure bend over her. It was not a room we were comfortable staying in. Now, is this activity caused by the desecration of the grave plot by our neighbors? I don’t know.

Some people say animals don’t have souls, but I don’t believe that to be true. I believe animals have souls and can love just like people. We had an old tom cat. His name was Frisky. He looked just like the cat on the old Frisky’s commercial. He would go wandering for months at a time and my sisters and I would fantasize it was him on the commercials. We would wait for a while and we’d think Frisky wasn’t coming back and we’d get a new cat. Not long after we would get that new cat, Frisky would come home. When I was a teenager,  Frisky stayed gone for a long time. He came back beaten up. Scratches, patchy places where fur was torn out, and a torn ear. Not knowing any better at the time, my mom gave him some aspirin. We’re not sure whether or not it was his injuries or the aspirin, but Frisky died. He didn’t leave right away. I was in my room, (the room with the eyes) sitting on my bed, and I felt something  jump on my bed and walk around. I knew it was Frisky. This happened several times. My mom would hear a meow at the back door, and there would be nothing there. He stayed around for a couple of months, and then he crossed over the rainbow bridge. We never heard from him again.

Creepy house near my in-laws. I’m sure it’s probably haunted.
When my grandmother passed away, I was nervous about going to the funeral. My mother didn’t want my sisters and I to go to my grandfather’s funeral. We were young and my mother didn’t think we could handle it. My grandfather had lost his leg in World War II and had a prosthetic leg. He never wore it and after he died my grandmother never got rid of it. My grandmother had two twin beds in her room and one of my sisters or I had to sleep in that room with her. We hated it because that leg was in the closet. We were afraid it would come and chase us around the house. It never did, thank God. It didn’t stop us of from being afraid of it even as adults. 
When my grandmother died, I was getting ready for the funeral in that room. I was real nervous and sad. I had refused to go to the viewing.  I didn’t want to see my grandmother dead in her coffin. While I was getting dressed, I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye. It was a white mist and I felt a sense peace come over me. I finished getting dressed and was fine for the funeral. She had an open casket and that didn’t even bother me. Was that mist my grandmother coming to tell me everything was okay? Or maybe an angel watching over me. I don’t know.

Kennesaw Mountain shortly after Civil War
Before I got married, my friend Lori and I would go to a club in Kennesaw, GA to see one of our favorite bands. She knew the band members. Her husband used to play bass guitar with some of them before he passed away from cancer. To get home, we would take a road that cut through Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park. There was something in those woods. You could feel it. It was a weird, uncomfortable energy. It made you want to get out of that area as soon as possible. We felt as though we were being watched as we drove through the park. Lori swore she saw a soldier in the road. I didn’t see anything, for which I was grateful. because I probably would have wrecked my car. We didn’t drink, so our senses weren’t impaired.  Do the soldiers that fought that battle wander the woods at night? Are they reliving the battle? Who knows. All I know is I don’t like that road at night.

Finally, my most recent occurrence happened shortly after I got married. My husband’s uncle was very ill. We were basically waiting for his mom to call us and tell us he had passed away. One night, I woke up and looked out our window. Outside, near the cedar tree stood a figure in white. The next morning I got a call from his mother to say his uncle had passed away. To this day, I firmly believe that was an angel outside our house watching over us.

Those are my stories of the paranormal. They may not be very scary, but they are interesting occurrences in my life. They are inspiration for my stories. I am looking forward to getting to know G.W. Sanders, my new character, in my upcoming series.

I hope you enjoyed reading these tidbits and I hope you and your family have a safe and happy Halloween.

The Nomad Writer Finds a Home

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(Kayelle, this is for you)
Yes, Loki, I should be writing. But where? Where is your writing space? I’m still working on mine. You would think I would have everything already setup, but nope. I’ve tried. I feel like a nomad in my own house. 
First, I decided to use the guest room for my “office.” There is not enough room for a desk, so I bought a tray table for my laptop and tried to write while sitting on the bed. That didn’t work. The summers are very uncomfortable on the second floor of my house. It can get to 80 degrees before the air turns on. We stay downstairs most of the time. Cooling a home in Georgia during the summer can be a pain. 
I couldn’t seem to find my “groove” while sitting on the bed trying to write. The cats would jump on me wanting attention. Closing the door didn’t help. They would scratch on it until I let them in. Then jump on the bed meowing at me, wanting more attention. Good grief! The funny thing is, when I told my children that I needed to work and don’t call me unless someone was hurt, bleeding, or dead, they listened. My husband on the other hand…..(I love you honey!) The guest room was out.
From Wikimedia Commons
I thought about the basement. It is cool in the summer. Koko, our Himalayan, loves the basement. I didn’t think he would bother me. O.C., short for Oatmeal Cookie, hates the basement and refuses to go there.  But I have two problems. Number one – it’s not a finished basement. Number two – spiders (This probably should be the one and only). Yes, I said spiders. I hate spiders. My mother would always feel the need to show me the big web with that big spider right smack-dab in the middle of it. I’d jump, she’d laugh. I’d roll my eyes and walk away. Looking up spider pictures for this post freaked me out. Once, I was working in my basement and a spider crawled out from underneath a box. It was big. It was black. It had red spots. Spider – 1 Lisa – 0. I was done for the day. What if a spider crawled on my laptop while I was working? EEEEEKKKK! Not no, but hell no!
So now, I’m set up in my den. It used to be the dining room, but whoever designed this house must not have had a dining room table. I have put a small desk against the wall between the windows. I can close the door to the kitchen. I’ve moved some stuff around to create a more open space. I have a white board on the wall to help work out my plot problems. It’s all good. I still need to do a little de-cluttering, but I can write here. I like it here. I can look out the window. Set up my speakers to listen to music if I choose. I don’t have to untangle myself to get to the bathroom, or deal with spiders. I’m good here.
This is my area. Nothing fancy. The cats have played with the blinds way too often and I have to stop Koko from walking on my laptop. Sixteen pounds of cat is not good for it. But it’s my space. And I like it a lot. 
So what does your space look like? What things do you have to have for a comfy cozy writing space? What makes it yours? 
Share your space and Happy Writing!