Meet upcoming and talented author Lara Dunning

 

Here's Lara's take on 

Raven and Writing 

Ravens, Myths & Stories

by Lara Dunning

Ravens, What a Free Spirited Bird

Living in Alaska for ten years I grew to love ravens. Each winter they would warble, cackle and crow outside my window. They’d bounce, prance and hop, so full of movement and character. Then when the warm days and long nights of summer would arrive they would vanish. I don’t know where they went. Even when I would go hiking I never saw one. I imagined them going to some otherworldly place to congregate and laugh at all the funny tricks they played on us humans over the winter. Then as soon as the “termination dust” hit the Chugach Mountains behind Anchorage I knew they would return and their playfulness would once again light up the long winter nights.

Ravens in My Stories

            Recently, ravens have made an appearance in my stories. They start out raven-free, but as some point I say to myself ‘hey, a raven would work here.’ In my fantasy story Pearl of the Sea, which is set in the Orkney Islands, I have a raven help the main character send a message to her Selkie village. I also wrote a flash fiction piece called Flight of the Raven. Then, several chapters into Vampire Trackers I had a scene that needed an ominous creature that wasn’t a vampire. As this is a paranormal story the first creature that popped into my mind was a raven. When I researched Egypt, sure enough, they have ravens too. So it fit within the perimeters of the character it would belong too.

Raven Myths & Stories

As a writer that has uses ravens in her stories, I am impressed with how far spread and varied the myths about ravens are. To name just a few, in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, the raven is a central character in their creation story (and many other stories) and brought light (sun, moon, stars) into the darkness of the world. A story I heard at the Alaska Native Heritage Center storyteller sessions was about the mystique of baby ravens, as it’s a rarity to see one. This story was about a boy who captured a baby raven and was told the secrets of life.

In Norse mythology two ravens named Huginn and Muninn would bring Odin information of the world each day. They served as his eyes and ears, or rather messengers of thought and memory from what they had seen and heard. I’ve noticed in many European stories ravens as messengers are a popular theme. For example, the Grimm Fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty was brought to life on the silver screen by Disney. Evil Queen Maleficent sends her pet raven to scour the forest for Princess Aurora. When the raven finds her, he returns to tell her just where Aurora is hiding. In the paranormal genre, along with many scary movies, the raven is often depicted as the bringer of death, or associated with death in some way. But, knowing how funny ravens are I have a hard time associating them with gloom and doom.

             Ravens are full of personality so it doesn’t surprise me that countries all over the world have made stories up about them and continue to revere them. A few months ago I watched a documentary about the ravens in the Tower of London, which are taken care of by royalty. Their well-being is believed to be tied to the prosperity of England itself. Now that’s something the Queen probably doesn’t want to test. Although if I was in charge of raising them I’d definitely be asking the baby ravens about the secrets of life.

Related Links:

Piper or Trickster

Ravens in Norse Mythology           

The Ravens of the Tower

Lara Adrienne Dunning currently lives on Fidalgo Island in the Pacific Northwest where she devotes her time to her family, her work as a Project and Administrative Manager forGEMS, LLC and her passion for writing. Lara grew up in the Mid-West and spent her childhood and teen years writing short stories and poetry. As a young adult she moved to Alaska where she lived for three years on a small island on the Aleutian chain and seven years in Anchorage. In Anchorage she earned her BA in Anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage as well as delving into photography and journalism. Lara continued her studies in the Indigenous Studies Graduate Program at SUNY Buffalo.Lara interests revolve around fiction, particularly fantasy, paranormal, a dash or two of historical fiction and a pinch of children's picture books. 

Spoilerville Website

Bestselling author Edgar® Award winner, Jan Burke, has created a site as a way to allow authors and readers to discuss books without fear of causing riots on lists and blogs, and without spoiling the fun of those who haven’t read those books yet.

http://spoilerville.com/2011/07/17/murder-at-the-luther-by-kathleen-kaska/

http://spoilerville.com/2011/07/17/murder-at-the-arlington-by-kathleen-kaska/

Seven "Rs" to Removing Writer's Block

This article is #3 in a rolling blog tour. For the previous entry, please see Ryder Islington’s post on plotting. The details on all the participants are at the bottom of this post. If you like what we have to say, please leave a comment.

Seven “R” to Removing Writer’s Block

Some of you may have read this blog before, but here it is again.

Was the night . . . humid, moist, or wet? The right word on the tip of your tongue, but you’re tongue-tied? Have a great scene for murdering a condescending convenience-store clerk, but can’t get his body into the beer box without being seen? Have your characters developed minds of their own, barricaded themselves in a bank vault, and refused to make an appearance on your computer screen?
What now? Start by deleting the words “writer’s block” from your vocabulary, then follow the advice of Larry Donner. “Who’s Larry Donner?” you ask.
While conducting researching for my book, The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book, I watched the video Throw Momma from the Train, a spoof on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 thriller, Strangers on a Train. The movie stars Billy Crystal as writing instructor Larry Donner and Danny DeVito as his overzealous student Owen Lift.
The plot in both films involved the theory that if you eliminate the motive, you can get away with murder. In other words, “You kill mine, and I’ll kill yours.”
The sub-plot in the spoof rang loud and clear. Despite Larry’s severe case of writer’s block, which is magnified by a murder charge against him, the basic lesson to his students is: a writer writes, always. So, if the words won’t flow, take Larry’s advice AND follow my seven “Rs”.
1. RESURRECT: Work on more than one writing project.
If you hit a deadlock while working on one, just move to another. Allow you creativity time to process what you have written. In the meantime, continue writing. I keep several projects in the works besides my mysteries: a proposal, an article, a blog posting, or even an old fashioned letter to a friend. This allows me to log in several hours a day and feel like I’ve accomplished something.
2. REWRITE: Edit what you’ve already written.
As a writer, you may like to ignore the left side of you brain, but that anal, petty, and unrelentingly critical part of your brain is your friend. While the right side of your brain allows that creative stream to flow unencumbered by rules of the English language, you do have to polish those gemstones.
I set aside my first drafts to let the smoke clear. When the time is right, I let my left-brain do the dirty work.
3. RESEARCH: Spend more time gathering information.
Being at a loss for words might mean you’re out of ammunition. There is no better way for me to get those juices flowing again then to delve deeper into my subject, searching for facts and anecdotes that add dimension to the piece.
While working on my article “Digging for Ancient Treasure: Agatha Christie in the Middle East,” I read Christie’s book, Come Tell Me How You Live, a humorous account of her life with her husband, archeologist Max Mallowan. I had difficultly with one particular anecdote, but by rereading this autobiographical story, I gained a new perspective and added a twist to my story.
4. REGROUP: Join a writers’ critique group or enroll in a writing class or workshop.
I believe a good writer, like a good teacher, is always willing to learn. Groups and workshops increase my motivation and benefit my writing creatively and financially. Isolating myself with my thoughts and computer might be comforting, but I cannot live on my words alone, I need feedback.
An effective critique group is made up of colleagues, not best friends, and objective criticism is the goal. Don’t react like Larry did in the film when his nemesis gave him the perfect word he was seeking. “The night was wet might be accurate, but sultry rolls off the tongue and adds more depth to Larry’s description, setting the tone for his story.
Learn from you peers. The day a writer feels that he/she has learned everything there is to know about the art and business of writing is the day that writer should retire.
5. RESOLVE: Solve problems that interfere with your concentration.
Well, at least make an attempt. You might night be able to convince your mother not to call during your writing time, or guarantee that your four-year-old will not fall off his tricycle, but you can arrange and organize your day to ensure fewer distractions.
Maybe you can drop off your kids at your mother’s (she want have time to call) for the afternoon, or turn off your phone or even let your e-mails go unread. Just remove some obstacles so that your path is clear.
6. READ: Read your favorite author.
I have several books that I call my inspirational jumpstarts. They vary from the poetic prose of Beryl Markham’s West with the Wind, to the comic dialogue of Elizabeth Peter’s Amelia Peabody series, to my favorite poetry book Nine Horses by Billy Collins. Reading a great book or story inspires me to write. Likewise, if I am writing an article and am having trouble with that first line, I peruse magazines and read the first sentences of a few articles. This gets my mind off of what is not working for me and allows me to focus on what works for other writers.
7. RELAX: It might be time to let your mind wander.
Slide in the video Throw Momma from the Train. While you relax, your brain is still processing. As with the movie, everything will work out in the end given enough time and a change of scenery. Larry’s wife is found alive, rescinding the charge of murder, Owen’s mother dies a natural death, giving him freedom, and both writer and student publish a book.
The moral of the story: whether you are running from the law or hiding from your mother, no matter if the night is humid, moist, wet, or sultry, a writer writes—always.
(A variation of this article appeared in the Writer’s League of Texas newsletter in 2001.)

Read what my fellow bloggers have to say. After you read mine, log-on to Ryder Islington's. 

• John Hines – http://www.johnhines.com
• Mollie Bryan — http://www.molliecoxbryan.com
• Kathleen Kaska — http://www.kathleenkaskawrites.blogspot.com
• Ryder Islington – http://ryderislington.wordpress.com

Plotting by the Seat of Your Pants

This article is #6 in a rolling blog tour. For the previous entry, please see Ryder Islington’s post on plotting. The details on all the participants are at the bottom of this post.

Plotting by the Seat of Your Pants, or Me and Mr. King

         What kept me from even beginning my first novel was the big, bad PLOT. My characters were developed and tapping their feet with impatience. They had names, quirky habits, insane personalities, and so much nerve they frightened me. The setting was so clear, I was almost blinded by the scenery. But figuring out what would happen, chapter by chapter, was impossible.

            When I first started writing mysteries, I didn’t know where to begin. I’d already published three nonfiction books, several articles, and some science material for an educational publishing company. All these projects required a detailed outline in order to keep on track. But trying to outline fiction was like trying to pinch a butterfly. So I took the advice of a writing instructor, who told me to just write the story. It worked. My characters took over.

            And I got lucky once. My husband and I were lost in the country. We backtracked and ended up on a road called “Murderers Row.” By the time we found our way back to civilization, the plot for a new mystery had formed. Don’t ask me how it happened, it just did.

            After five novels, however, I continued to hear that devil in my head, telling me I was doing it all wrong. Then I read Stephen King’s book, A Memoir of the Craft–On Writing (the best book on writing I’ve ever read), and guess what? That great novelist does not plot his stories. “I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible,” King wrote. “It’s best that I be as clear as I can—I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of a writer is to give them a place to grow.”

            I realize that non-plotting doesn’t work for everyone; but for me, watching the plot unfold, often at my characters’ discretion, is the most enjoyable part of writing mysteries. Of course, after the first draft is complete, I go back and tighten the story.

            So I can honestly say that Stephen King and I have something in common. No, I don’t make millions, but if he can plot by the seat of his pants, so can I. 

Ryler Islington www.ryderislington.wordpress.com

Pat Brown gkparkerhistorynoir.blogspot.com

Mollie Cox Bryan www.MollieCoxBryan.com

John Hines www.johnhines.com

Nancy Lauson www.chickdickmysteries.com

Stay tuned for our next rolling blog on Wednesday. We' chat about Writer's Block. Writer John Hines will begin the blog with his words of wisdom.