writing Archives - Page 64 of 82 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Blog Hop! The Writer’s Process

Hi Everyone! This is a wonderful traveling Blog every Monday where authors answer four questions and then pass it off to other authors to share their views on the writing process.

I want to thank Katie Beitz, a teacher from Australia and author of ‘The Shadow Miner’ http://katiebeitz.weebly.com/ for inviting me to participate!

Q. What am I working on?

I have several projects going at the time of this writing. I’m finishing up with the graphic designer on my newest effort: “The Creative Writer’s Journal and Handbook” and it will be released soon. With all my work, I revise, rewrite, edit and then rewrite more.

I’m also about half finished with Book 5 in The World of Murder series. “The Taste of Murder” takes place in the Food Network world of television and cooking shows. Detectives O’Roarke and Garcia have a cold case dumped on their desk. Despite their objections that they ‘don’t do cold cases’ their Commander tells them that they do now since the new Mayor has specifically asked for them. Three years earlier a relative of the mayor’s was murdered and the case was never solved.

On the back burner is my historic novel, “Song of the Yukon” which has been side-tracked by the murder mystery series. Continue reading “Blog Hop! The Writer’s Process”

Nostalgia….Spanish Camp (Part 1)

We left the $11. a night motel just outside of Winthrop, a sleepy little town in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. We had to be at the corral by 6AM sharp. The pavement became dirt four miles out of town and we drove the last few miles dodging pot holes and rocks. It was September 10, 1962. Nestled amongst quaking aspen trees just off the road was a large fenced corral. Pick up trucks were parked haphazardly about and men were off loading horse-pack gear and tack. As we parked, our guide walked over and introduced himself. He reiterated that we could take as much as we liked to insure our comfort at the camp site. We had taken him at his word. We had packed a camp stove that was made from a half 25 gallon barrel, stove pipe and all. Our large canvas tent slept four even though there was only the two of us. Camp chairs and a folding table. Sleeping bags, extra pillows, Army folding cots so we could sleep off the ground and gun cases. We were traveling in style. Continue reading “Nostalgia….Spanish Camp (Part 1)”

Winners Announced Later Today!

The Winners of the Weekend Book Give-away will be announced later today. If you are a winner, drop us a message and tell us whether you want a signed paperback or an audio version of your book. For a paperback, we will need your mailing address.

CONGRATULATIONS to OUR WINNERS! Like my page so you don’t miss future drawings!

After reading Wild Violets, I would really appreciate your writing a short review on www.amazon.com. It helps the book’s rankings. Thank you for all the ‘likes’ and ‘follows’!

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FREE BOOK Give-a-way!! This weekend!

It’s easy to win a copy of my novel, “WILD VIOLETS” this weekend. Just 1) LIKE my page at www.facebook.com/writeratplay 2) start FOLLOWING me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/writeratplay4. and 3) SHARE this Post. Tweet me or ‘message’ me with your entry.

The (5) prize books are available, to the winners, in audio or a signed paperback. Winners will be selected randomly.

“Wild Violets” It’s the roaring twenties in San Francisco, a decade famous for hot jazz and bath tub gin.

After documenting my mother’s colorful childhood in the primordial forests of Washington State, I went on to write about Violet as a grown woman with children of her own. She has left her small home town in the Pacific Northwest to pursue a successful basketball career and with her earnings, she bought a bar and grill. She is a ‘flapper’ in every sense of the word; working all day and playing all night. While her teenage daughter raises her seven year old son, Violet is out on the town with her latest man de’jour. Dressed in her signature red dress, she is the toast of the town and owner of a speakeasy where she hosts the cream of San Francisco’s society, city politicians, bishops, and Hollywood celebrities.

But there is an underbelly of corruption, grifters, the mob, excess, and neglect in Violet’s life. Her two children are an afterthought and she chooses her men over their well being time and time again. Their childhood needs are always trumped by her self-indulgent desires. The two children are possessions that she can put down or pick up again on a whim, showing them off to her current beau or friends and then forgotten. And when they get in her way, she gets rid of them.
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Wild Violets- Prologue Sample AUDIO
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Kurt Vonnegut had a Few Rules….

I am in the middle of creating a Journal – Workbook for Creative Writing. There are six sections, ‘How to Begin’, ‘How to Write Fiction’, How to Write a Stage Play’ and more. I also included inspiring quotes from famous authors and playwrights as well as poets. It’s more than a journal, although the owner of the book will have well over 260 blank pages in which to create and write.

While I do not profess to be the ‘expert’ when it comes to writing I did want to share with you, in this Journal, some tools that you can use when you sit down to write. I don’t know about you, but I am so inspired when reading the work of another author that I admire, that I also included many fascinating quotes.

“I learned never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.” Ernest Hemingway Continue reading “Kurt Vonnegut had a Few Rules….”

Interview with Loretta Chase, best selling author (part 2)

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

A. As soon as I learned to write. As a small child, I used to tell stories. Some people called these lies. Truth—lies—all the same to me. But I remember I couldn’t wait to learn to read & write. As soon as I had the alphabet and some vocabulary under my belt—Look! See! Go!—I was writing. It did not stop. Journals, letters, poetry, and interminable Great American Novel. But the GAN never got finished, probably because I did not know how to write a story. I didn’t get my head wrapped around story structure until I started writing scripts for corporate video. One of my producers(the man I eventually married) got me to admit I wanted to become a novelist (like Charles Dickens!). As part of his cunning Get Rich Slow Scheme, he persuaded or tricked or taunted me—I’m still not quite sure what happened—to work up the nerve to write a book for publication.

Q. How long after that were you published?

A. Contrary to all the laws of publishing, the first novel I wrote from beginning to end was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to. Un-agented. Over the transom. Those were the days. Continue reading “Interview with Loretta Chase, best selling author (part 2)”

What Inspired Me to Write a Play? part 2

Let’s see, where did we leave off? As you can see by now truth is sometimes stranger than fiction….why make stuff up when the true stories are just standing there in front of you…waiting for you to write a play about them? Or not….because about this time Cheets, the effervescent elf came into my life!

‘The Fabled Forest Series‘ was brought to me by my friend, Cheets, about three in the morning to be exact. He put his over-sized elf feet in the middle of my back and pushed. Yelling in my ear, ‘Cheets has a story….write about Cheets!’
By the time I crawled out of bed, made a cup of tea and stumbled to my keyboard he was skipping along beside me, telling me about his friends in the fabled forest and about the unicorn that they must save. No, I’m not crazy (or if I am, I’m in very good company) and yes I do hear voices (again, good company). A few years and four children’s plays later ‘Emma and the Lost Unicorn‘ was produced outside of Boston. The little actors in the show pleaded with me to write them story books based upon the plays. That was my launch from playwright to author.

Two summers ago I was talking with some teachers and they were bemoaning the fact that ‘the arts’ budget was non-existent at their schools; anything that they wanted to do in that area; paints, music, scripts, was out of their own pocket I thought, what if I wrote several 10 minute plays for the class room, made them affordable, no sets, no costumes, no props? Twenty-six scripts later and it’s definitely been a hit. While I did write some fun ones, I quickly learned that I needed to write about teen issues in real life. Bullying, mean girls, dating violence, divorce, drugs, running away, cyber-bullies…the list goes on and on.

And as I am not a mystery writer but do love to stretch my creative wings, I thought I’d throw in a murder mystery play into the collection. I knew the kids in the classroom would love it. “The Art of Murder” was born. Then some well meaning friends told me, after reading the play, “But what happened to Monty?” and “Who killed her?” “You have got to tell us the rest of the story!”

‘Okay, okay! I’ll write a novella for you.’ Well, it went pretty well and my friends and fans seemed to like it. Just one problem, they came back again and told me, “You’ve got a series here! We want more of O’Roarke and Garcia, your murder cops!” I objected: ‘I’m not a mystery writer!’ Well, apparently I am since I’m currently writing the fifth in the series!

Book 2 takes place back stage on Broadway……so we’ve come full circle!

Want to read more? Click here to read Part 1

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The Wide Side of Drink

I had a Bukowski moment yesterday morning, as I am wont to do, probably more often than is healthy. But, what can I say? He’s a heavy influence in this poet’s life. This just flowed from my brain into my fingers, onto the page. I don’t have any drunks in my life, I haven’t been in a bar in a long, long time, and I don’t know anyone who can’t remember to zip up. More than anyone else in my life, reading Charles Bukowski allows me to be free. So whether my readers can relate or not, ENJOY!! (Viewer discretion advised.)

the wide side of drink © T.Sugarek

smooth amber against the tongue
ice cubes wetly thump each other
life smooths out

bigger self
bigger car
bigger life
bigger dick
bigger mouth

drive slow
pretend to be sober
fall out of the car
drop the keys on
the cold asphalt

harass the band
they won’t let the drunk play
join the music in a braying voice

dance on the bar
break glasses
fight the bouncers
grab the girls

bigger self
bigger car
bigger life
bigger dick
bigger mouth

piss against a tree
mumble something astounding
forget to zip up
where’s my car for chisshakes?

kill the family
unlucky enough to be
driving home
at the same time

bigger self
bigger car
bigger life
bigger dick
bigger mouth

after, he hobbles down the road
with a few bruised ribs and two scratches,
he steps carefully over the carnage

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” ~ Dr. Seuss

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What Inspired Me to Write my first Play?

In looking at my stats recently I saw a recurring key phrase on my site. ‘How to write a play?‘, and I thought my readers might find it interesting to read about what inspired the subjects of my play scripts.

The short answer is: A true story…. something that caught my attention that was someone else’s story.

The long answer: My first play ‘Lost Child‘ back in 1994 was based on a true story of a Dad dealing with his gay son. Back then HIV and AIDS was a death sentence. The father was homophobic and macho. He rejected his son. To make the story complete I added another set of parents that were totally supportive of their gay son. Sadly this story did not end well and the script was lost on my hard drive ….someday, I may finish it.

Next came ‘Cook County Justice‘ based upon a fifteen minute segment I saw on one of those TV magazines like 20/20. Bill Heirens had been incarcerated for over 40 years (even though his sentence included parole) for a murder I came to believe he didn’t commit. This story took me on a six year journey; letters from Bill (inmate), support from his team trying to set him free and several productions of my play.

While visiting Bill in the Illinois state Prison for Men early one Sunday morning, I sat in the reception area waiting to be ‘processed’ through into the visiting room. I was surrounded by women of all ages and their children. Mothers, sisters, wives, daughters….as I sat there they figuratively took me by the nape of my neck and shouted….’you must write about us…tell our story!’ That was the birth of ‘Women Outside the Walls’ a full length play and later a novel.

‘Scent of Magnolia‘ A Tribute to Billie Holiday was conceived in 2001 when a very talented jazz singer/actress out of Chicago asked me if I would write her a one woman show as Billie Holiday. I used, as my inspiration, the early years of Billie’s career before she succumbed to alcohol and drugs.

NEXT! A Hollywood Tale was based on my own experiences as a young actor in Hollywood and all the story swapping we would do in the green room, waiting to ‘go on’. There was nothing worse than going to a cattle call audition and in the middle of your monologue or reading have the casting director yell: ‘Next!’ That was your cue line to exit right. The razor sharp teeth of the machine known as Hollywood chew up aspiring actors and spit them into the gutter.

I grew up on my mother’s stories about growing up in the forests of Tumwater, Washington with her 13 siblings. Back at the turn of the twentieth century life and its entertainments were simple.

‘The Guyer Girls’ is a cross between Little Women and I Remember Mama. The first act is almost all based upon her stories. The second act was my creation of what happened when the six sisters come back home fifteen years later. With this age of technology I didn’t want these stories to die with her or with me.

‘Sins of the Mother’ was also partly biographical. Again stories told by my mother of her years in San Francisco (1920’s) as a bar owner, women’s basketball player, flapper, and mother. She used to say, “I’d work all day and dance all night!” This full length play developed into a novel, ‘Wild Violets’.

There’s more but this is where I will stop. Every play plot has conflict. The trick is to solve it within two and a half hours.

A Journal/Handbook to Start YOU writing! 275 blank pages for your work; each margin with an inspiring quote from a famous actor, writer, playwright, or poet. Sections on ‘how to’ will get you started.

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How To Write Haiku

‘One of my most popular posts has been my series on how to write Haiku. So I thought I would bring this post back for my newer friends, followers and visitors.’

Haiku Poetry, an ancient form of writing poetry from Japan, is very strict in its discipline. Three sections of three lines each. The first and third lines, in each section, must be five syllables. The second line must be seven syllables. A reference to nature is usually found somewhere in the poem. My Sumi-E ink and brushwork you see here is also an ancient Japanese technique.

Tip: When I first write haiku I don’t worry so much about the structure on the first draft. I get my thoughts down and then start editing words (syllables) until I have the correct structure of 5-7-5. This works best for me and gives me more freedom.

Tip: Over the centuries (and certainly in the US) Haiku has been reduced to one section of three lines. In ancient Japan culture (11-12th centuries) a haiku (correct name: Renku) had three sections of three lines. I prefer to write in the ancient style but it is acceptable, by some, to write a complete poem in three lines.

For years I had been writing little snippets of this and that, periodically trying my hand at writing Haiku. Years later a book of poetry was
conceived and then a book dedicated to Haiku, one of my favorite forms of writing. A companion Journal for your Haiku compositions and other journaling is also available.

REVIEW from The Midwest Book Review, February 2013

‘The World of Haiku is a striking collection of original poetry; each poem consists of three haiku verses. Bold, pen-and-ink artwork embellishes each brief poem. The World of Haiku embodies the spirit of encompassing timeless observations in a fleeting moment of verse, and is a delightful treasure for any who enjoy contemplative haiku poetry. ~~Paul T. Vogel, Reviewer

Hope you enjoy these samples of my Haiku…

Haiku ©

to write haiku is
to distill to perfection
with only three lines

one twig, two twigs, three
soft down plucked from mother’s breast
the perfect bower

three tiny blue eggs
under warmth of mother’s love
they stir, they hatch new

three urgent beaks open wide
insistent, burning, they beg
speckled downy fuzz

morning sun dapples
trees in a polka-dot dress
shines soft green and light

chill hint of autumn
smells of summer, loam, and pause
visions of winter

sap returns from leaves
to store deep in the tree heart
yellow, red, orange, burnt

brush and ink by author/poet

to live in the woods
listen to the sheer quiet
so weighty and loud

the morn silent, still
not a whisper of sound stirs
deafening stillness

weighing on the ear
silence roars loud in the brain
the bird’s shrill cry brays

and from two masters….Yukio Mishima and Miyamoto Musashi, a 15th century Japanese swordsman and ronin (the term for what we now know as Samurai) became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He was the founder of the Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. Miyamoto Musashi is widely considered one of the greatest warriors of all time. Samurai were expected to explore their artistic and philosophical side and most were known, not only for their prowess on the battlefield, but for their beautiful poetry. (Note: translated, the poetry does not keep to the exact discipline. Japanese poets used ‘sound units’ rather than syllables.)

The sheaths of swords rattle
As after years of endurance
Brave men set out
To tread upon the first frost of the year

A small night storm blows
Saying ‘falling is the essence of a flower’
Preceding those who hesitate
—Yukio Mishima

……and by Miyamoto Musashi

A crow has settled
on a bare branch
Autumn evening

On a withered branch,
A crow has stopped
Autumn’s eve

A lone crow
sits on a dead branch
this autumn eve

(PS. I invite you to send me your Haiku and if you wish it, I will critique and publish it here on my blog.)
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