Notes: Here the Green Grass Grows

I have not finished the fifteenth Culture Kid story collection - and it's getting both much easier and much harder.

Easier because the writing and researching process has gotten easier - as Laura Van Pelt once said (about something else) - it's all just muscle memory. And it is that, to a certain extent. I've found my voice and am able to quickly and clearly put it down on paper.

It's harder for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost is the research process itself. In countries like Ireland, there are a multitude of topics that should be covered - just like in Italy - but something somewhere has to find its way to the cutting floor. Otherwise, as in the story about the Norman Invasions of Ireland or the stories about Catholicism/Protestantism in Ireland - there's a lot that can easily be added. This literally drowns the reader in a sea of names and numbers.

Still, on first edit, I'm okay with the current product. That will likely change the more I peruse it.

There isn't much, however, I felt I missed. Just like the China stories, I avoided some of the obvious trappings: Luck of the Irish, Leprechauns, Blarney Stones, Whiskey drinking, and Hooliganism. I do feel, possibly, that I may have to revisit the Potato Famine parts as well as polishing away some of the extra bits of history that way I don't lose my reader.

Where to go next? I'm thinking Bangladesh or Ethiopia. These choices, of course, are influenced by co-workers from these places. Regardless, it'll be a fun trip.

Notes: Hearts of Hummingbirds

All except for the quickness with which I finished the last two chapters, there is very little I would change with this work. In fact, I'm so happy with some of the unintended offramps I took along the way that I may create a sequel, following Phoebe's transformation from addict to survivor, through the good works of her sister and brother-in-law as well as the church community that supports her.

I would suppose I'd detail Portia's transformation, too. Especially as multi-tasking mother and evolving lover to Darren - and his evolution through former Narcotic abuse.

It could easily be a compare and contrast between Phoebe and Darren, not unlike the separate path choices of Phoebe and Portia.

In the re-writes, I am likely to detail more of little Alex's struggles as well as deepening the character studies of Darren, Phoebe, and possibly even Ramona or Marcus.

Then again, maybe not. Ramona and Marcus got what was coming to them and the reader probably does not care about where their separate paths end.

On a separate note, I had always planned to have Alex die in the place and manner in which he did. It was one of the first visuals that sat in my head regarding "Hearts". It wasn't anything more than that - the unfortunate circumstances of living in the ghetto: mistaken identities and mistaken motives, and just mistakes themselves. They all intertwine and not together, sometimes impossible to untangle.

I also kept the racial identities of these characters anonymous, too. I'd originally picutre Portia as a light-skinned black, possibly a mulatto. When I talked to a black friend of mine, she thought it would be hard for me to empathize with a black person's point of view. This was odd, since she had spent her entire life in Reynoldsburg and never really experienced ghetto life or drug sub-cultures.

These are the places I knew better than her, but in reverence to the true issue of the story: the plight of the poor, I kept race out of it. I picked names that may or not may sound black - but I specifically know white people with each of these names, while I dont know any black people personally with ANY of these names.

Still, I'm happy with the basic first draft, and that's really good enough for me.

Notes: Aztec Shadows

I spent a very long time doing nothing on this work. I think part of it was waiting for my Philippines trip in February 2011 - maybe that was just an excuse. I had most of the ideas pre-written in my head.

Finally, when I returned, I started working hard on Mexico. I wrote 1-2 completed stories each week until I completed the entire project in May. Still, I started in November and finished in May - 12 short stories in under 7 months. Not great, but definitely not too shabby.

I avoided / skipped talking about both the music and dance cultures. I don't know why, but I did. I concentrated more on the Aztec and Mayan influences, as well as the importance of corn / maiz to both their culture as well as the world culture. I also spent a moderate time talking about the religious culture of Mexico - and the Spanish influence on the Mesoamericans that predated the age of the Spanish conquistadors.

One thing I was unhappy with was my overall approach to the Mexican food scene. In many other stories, I had the characters making food with their adult counterparts. For some reason, I drifted away from this. Maybe I'll fix tht in re-writes.

I also did not devote enough time to the Spanish language - and its use of additional letters and accents beyond the tilde. I do think I'll fix the one story quite a bit that deals with tilde - including the double-l (ll), accents, and maybe even the different lingual sounds.

Overall, I liked what I produced - enough to make me want to go there - then again, I've always thought of living in either Oaxaca or on the Mayan Riviera or Guadalajara.

Notes: Where Cows Go Meaux

All in all, I think "Where Cows Go Meaux" was a good write. I spoke mostly of the French Wars and ancestral clans (like the Gauls and Franks). Still, I managed to conclude it with Bastille Day and a trip through the Louvre.

Things I didn't particularly dwell on (other than cheese and wines) was the cuisine. I am okay with this, though. I think the American viewpoint on French cuisine is probably skewed anyway - most French probably live closer to the Pot au Feu, cheese, breads, and wine fare as opposed to escargot, baguettes (although they DO get their mention), and other French staples.

It was an easy write. The only thing I think I need to go back and mend is the story about siege warfare, which I was pleasantly surprised with how well that unfolded anyway - I think a re-hash will help it gel even more and be memorable for the juvenile reader.

Other than that, I hope children will enjoy it, although there's LOTS of history lessons in there...I think it's palatable enough for a reader/listener of any age.

Notes: Farthest West Kingdom

This series of stories really came together quite easily. I even decided to experiment with my style. Except for one story, the main character never spoke a single word. Instead, she used physical gestures and inner thoughts to convey her point of view.

It was also good re-emphasizing an Islamic culture, both by the antiquated and modern points of view. While Ameena's mother held to tradition, her father embraced the new cultural patterns facing Morocco today. I did this for two reasons: First off, the standard expectation of male oppressors needed a jolt. Secondly, her father came from Islamic Spain, while Ameena's mother grew up in rural Morocco, where traditions are firmly ensconced even in the 21st century.

It was refreshing to also explore the Ottoman Empire's contribution to culture, which is so often overlooked in American History teaching. It is unfortunate that these biased Histories (which all cultures seem to suffer greatly from) rewrite and redact the true story of man. This is also problematic in another way: Kings, Presidents, and Dictators attempt to remove history for the sake of their own egos. Napoleon blasted cannonfire at the negroid nose of the Sphinx, Ottomans erased Malay and Indonesian cultures until the Dutch rectified the Pacific Island warlords. However, the Dutch uprooted both North and South Africans for their infamous slave trade.

With all that said, I do dream of going to Essaouira or Marrakesh one day, just to see how close I was to portraying the real Morocco.

Notes: In the Land of Fire and Ice

There was only clear choice in the name for the Iceland story. Unfortunately, it's probably the cliche every adventure story-teller uses when their readers/viewers arrive in Iceland.

Oh well, such is life. Like Corey Frey, Jon Whitney, and I had theorized, everything in the world is a variation on the half-hitch. (which originally meant that all knots were variations on the half-hitch [a single turn of the rope over itself]. One of us proposed, "Aren't all things essentially a variation on the half-hitch?"

With that said, I detoured off the beaten path immediately. I wrote about everything I wanted, but not at the length with which I wanted to reside in each story. I found myself hacking pieces of story off just to try to keep them within a reasonable word count/length.

In fact, I'm not even happy with "Elves in the Eaves", because it dealt with the twelve nights of the Icelandic Christmas/Yuletide. Still, I think I handled it relatively well. On the other hand, I've gotten into a real habit of talking about transportation in all of my stories. Autobahns, fishing boats, passenger ferries, motorcycles, tandem bikes, arctic trucks, and seaplanes.

I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. I guess it just is. Except for one story, I think I'll keep away from the transportation issue when I venture to Morocco. I will also cut down on subplots for each story so I can fully develop each kernel/idea.

Otherwise, I really liked Iceland. It was a very quick write and I hope it's a quick read, too. I'm sure the Muse will give praise. I'm hoping mom is a little less forgiving. Who knows? Maybe it'll surpass the Germany story. I am very happy with the entire project, especially for a first draft.

Although I like the smaller family unit, I'm going to try an extended family for Morocco. Each child will be observed through my main character's eyes. I originally thought it would be a boy story, but maybe it's a girl story and how she 'views" her brothers...which will help describe traditional Muslim wear in the more conservative parts of Morocco.

Notes: Many Yet One

This project was really easier than I made it out to be, from beginning to end. I had all the characters, settings, and plot sketched in my head within a week of picking up the research at the library and talking to my favorite Indonesian muse - Elizabeth Gandawidjaja.
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Thanks Betty, for everything.

The only thing I really didn't delve into was the importance of badminton to the Indonesian sports culture. I don't even think I went fare enough into Sepak Takraw. It's a super interesting sport to watch - I've watched several matches on YouTube and wonder why these Southeast Asian nations can kick a softball-sized ball over a 5 foot high net and juggle the ball like volleyball players, yet cannot score goals in world cup play.

Something must be lost in the translation.

I was glad I also got to elaborate on the diverse multi-cultural mix that Indonesia exhibits. There are strong representations of Hindus, Christians, Catholics, and Muslims. There are still indigenous Javanese and Balinese peoples, as well as Chinese, Turish, Japanese, Dutch, French, and Australian immigrants. For those reason alone, they not only rival, but surpass America's 'Melting Pot'.

I also felt lucky to describe plate tectonics and the contributions of Sir Wallace to biodiversity in this regeion without bogging down either storypoint.

After writing this, I couldn't see any reason why I wouldn't love to visit any part of Indonesia. Unfortunately, 7000 islands have different cultures, and no amount of time would be enough to absorb it all.

Boos for the OAC

Received an email from the Ohio Arts Council regarding my submission. I was declined for the Individual Arts Grant. Not a big surprise. I suppose that since it's children's material, there is almost no quality that will make it "awardable". Maybe if my characters were gay, crippled, or minorities...or all three combined.

But I'm not bitter...

Anyway, I'm moving on. It was worth a try, right? Now I have to start sending queries to publishers and hoping they're not as obtuse or close-minded that I feel the OAC is.

I really feel sorry for the OAC, because they miss the larger picture. I see TV shows like "Curious George" or read books like "Charlotte's Web" and know they have literary merit well beyond the scope of agenda-driven stories that OAC endorses.

Onward and upward.

Ohio Arts Council Individual Artists Grant!

So, I'm trying to get my hand on some Obama money! Well, it's been there since the days of JFK, but it's always fun to say "Obama Money".

The guidelines for writers state that my manuscript must be between 20-30 typewritten pages, double-spaced, 1 inch margins. That means 3 stories from ANY of my selections... The First three stories are numbered: 01, 02, 03...

Here are the nominees:

http://beyondelmisti.blogspot.com/
http://dimsumyumcha.blogspot.com/
http://greaterthangold.blogspot.com/
http://maximoandmummelsee.blogspot.com/
http://purestthread.blogspot.com/
http://sugarbreadinthetuliphouse.blogspot.com/
http://underthesantoltree.blogspot.com/

Read the FIRST THREE STORIES of each and let me know by email (NickSchuyler@yahoo.com) which are your 3 favorites, in order. Please include a brief paragraph of why you picked them. This insures you aren't cheating to get your way in for an iPod!

Otherwise, feel free to leave your comments onthe individual pages. If they're relavant, that ALSO gets your number on a poker chip to be placed in the hat! (Max 1 per collection, Max 8 entries).

The winner will be picked on July 3rd at noon (pre-red-white-boom); ! I'll update the winner on facebook on July 4th! Winner's got a 7 full calendar days to respond with mailing address for me to send it out!

THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HELPS!