A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

Everything Has to Change in a Small Town

Traci Kenworth

When I was little, I thought the world was constant. That I’d always live in the small century town that I grew up in Ohio. As I aged, the need to get out and explore other places dawned in me. I went away for college. Not as far as I’d hoped but still a good three-to-four-hour drive. In the quiet moments alone, I’d reflect on that century village and miss it though I wouldn’t have admitted it at the time.

When things didn’t go as planned, I returned and lived there another four-to-five-years before moving to different towns around Ohio. The place that I’d longed to escape as a teenager somehow became the place of safety for me when my world turned upside down. It’s funny how things can change that way. You think you don’t want to be there and then you’re glad that you are.

Sometimes, the town felt claustrophobic to me. You feel like you can never break out from it. Then when you do, you come to appreciate what you had. It’s like an old friend who when you think of them brings a smile at some memory or other. You want to go back and spend time with them, but you realize that closeness has moved on. Your lives are different and will probably never cross again.

It makes you nostalgic. I wish sometimes that life had spun me different but well, I’m happy with who I am now. Where I stand. What I believe. There are times when you wish you could change something from your past but as the saying goes, you wouldn’t be the same. And, personally, I’d take all the pain, all the horror, just to have my kids, my kitties, and be happy with life as it is now.

You start off wanting one thing in life and find roads that lead elsewhere. It’s all a journey about finding who you are, what a place means to you, and most importantly, loving and getting to know the family and friends that come into your life along the way. We’re not always perfect. Sometimes, there are deep pitfalls in our pasts. But together, we find a way to peace within ourselves.

I still cherish the dreams of my youth. However, most were not meant to be. The family I have now is different than the one I had growing up as it is for all of us. It’s not the picture you saw in your head. That doesn’t mean it’s less. Just different. And I’d take those differences over the conflicts. The people I treasure, count on in life are genuine. I can’t say the same of some of those in my past.

Everything in a small-town changes as time goes by. Just like each of us. It must be that way for growth to happen, I guess. Life takes us in different directions some of which we’re not even ready for or not aware that they were the way we were meant to go. There are no short cuts. No way to turn things back. We move on and up. The way we were meant to. It’s not surprising where we come from doesn’t go through just as many changes.

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Some posts around the web you may like. I highly recommend all the sites, they always have something interesting to say.

• 1. Scenes versus Sequels from the awesome team at WritersHelpingWriters.com: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2022/03/scenes-vs-sequels-whats-a-good-balance/ We use the terms scene and sequel for so many definitions when it comes to writing that it can be difficult (not to mention confusing) to discuss Dwight Swain’s ideas of “scenes and sequels” (from his Techniques of the Selling Writer). But if we understand his insights, we can take a deeper look at our storytelling:
• 2. International Day of Awesomness from Craig Boyack who never fails to find a topic for me to relate to on his blog: https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2022/03/10/a-surprise-for-a-big-supporter/

Hi, gang. A little something special for you today. Sally Cronin has been a huge supporter of mine, both here, and at the Story Empire blog. She’s always there to share my new releases, and to review my books.

I’ve sold books on days when Sally posts a review or shares my newest news. She’s a very active blogger, and someone every author should get to know.

She also bundles up her promotions and posts a Weeky Roundup which gives authors a second bite at the apple. She does all of this without being asked, and never asks for anything in return.

3. Life in the Realm of Fantasy: https://conniejjasperson.com/2022/03/09/world-building-dressing-the-set-amwriting/

In any environment, fictional or real, the following is true: no matter how costly and rich or poor and rundown, personal belongings in a scene are only necessary for what they say about the people who own them.

Why is this so? Let’s look at an example.

Consider the protagonist in a scene set in a kitchen.

I cross to sit at the table. In front of me are a laptop, a cup of tea, a notepad, and a pen. The white page of the notepad stares back at me, accusing, as if to say, “Write, you fool.”

But words elude me.

As a reader, what do you see?

You see the word kitchen and assume it is furnished with everything you think should be there. You assume there is a sink, a stove, a refrigerator…and so on. Instantly, it becomes a room you can understand. Yet only the tea, the table, the notepad, and the pen are mentioned. The code word, the one that triggers the mental picture, is kitchen.

If we mention how the dark, heavy furniture lends an atmosphere of gloom to the room, that’s all the description we need to offer. The reader sees the laptop, notepad, and pen, along with a cup of tea against a version of dark and heavy dining furniture. The style of furniture will be something the reader is familiar with.

4. Myths of the Mirror: https://mythsofthemirror.com/2022/03/09/crafting-rich-characters-part-3/

Greetings Storytellers! I’m over at Story Empire today talking more about character development. If you’re interested, stop by to say hello. And Happy Writing!

Story Empire

Greetings Storytellers! We’re off to Part 3 of Crafting Rich Characters. In Part 1, we explored a character’s physical appearance, mannerisms, and quirks. In Part 2, we covered Attributes and Traits, Skills and Abilities, and Occupations and Interests.

5. Chris the Story Reading Ape: https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2022/03/10/out-of-the-blue-too-good-to-be-true-beware-soliciation-scams-by-victoria-strauss/

When I do presentations and Q&As, I’m often asked to name the most common scheme or scam writers need to watch out for.

Usually, I have to think a moment before I answer—not just because the universe of writer-focused predation is constantly evolving (for instance, there are far fewer fee-charging literary agents now than there were when Writer Beware was founded), but because the ways in which writers can be tricked and exploited are so many and various that it’s hard to choose.

These days, though, I can respond without hesitation. By far the most prevalent writer-focused scams are solicitation scams.