How to Write A Book

How do you write a book?

Okay, I will tell you.

Suppose you are driving a car from New York to L.A.. You are having a great time, riding by yourself, you stop anywhere you want, you linger here and there. Then in Chicago, you pick up a rider. The person you picked up is your reader. You drop down and swoop them up, and set them down smack in the middle of  someone's life in the middle of his/her day.  The trip we are on will be represented by the car and driver and those we pick up along the way

Now, I have a reader and a story. I'm back on the road to LA.  I can no longer travel at any speed I want. I need to keep moving. If I don't go fast enough, the rider will think I am boring and want to get out. Oh, Oh, too slow. She is getting antsy. Maybe there is something on TV. I had better take this road over here with all the twists and turns. I bet my rider would rather hold on for dear life than meander along uninterested by the countryside.

Look, there is a gorgeous red-head standing by the side of the road. She has on a blue dress that doesn't cover much. I wonder if she realizes how low cut the bodes is?I can almost she her, oh, never mind. I will pick her up and make her the runaway mistress of the local drug lord.

Jeez, there he is, we had better outrun him.  It's a shame he's so damn good-looking. Too cute to shoot.

Let's stop and eat. Stopping to eat represents your "backstory".  The backstory is the part of the book that tells you what you need to know about the drug lord and the damsel in distress, before you picked them up.  I always take the drive through and grab a sandwich. It doesn't pay to have a five course meal. We are back on the road with as little interruption of our trip (current story) as possible.

We need some peripheral characters, maybe a weird grandmother who whoops the big handsome drug dealer into shape once in a while or makes him help her with Sunday dinner. Could be a toy poodle he loves but doesn't want anyone to know he has. If he isn't human, why would we care if he and she get together?

Oh, man, I ran a stop sign. I bet I get a ticket. The answer here is to know the rules of the road. How do you learn them? There are hundreds of ways. Chicago Book of Style will help , as well as reading or studying grammar. Use your spell check and have a writing program that edits your work.

The other thing I need to get across country is gas. I have to fuel up to keep going. It's not hard to get petrol. There are stations everywhere. There are writer's groups, seminars on writing, conferences, classes at the library, mentors, people who love to read and the list goes on and on.

So, I wanted to go from New York to LA. I thought the idea for the trip was interesting enough to take someone with me. I made the riders as interesting as I could so I wouldn't get bored on the ride. I bought fuel when I needed it and ate when I couldn't stand it any longer and had to stop.

We are in LA. Now what? There are so many answers to that question and you didn't ask me how to sell a book, just how to write one. More later.

Food and Fads.

I try to stay up on the current health food ideas. This one has been around for a long time. It is the benefits of cinnamon. Everywhere I look, there is another article on your health and cinnamon.

The new one is cinnamon and honey. Have one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon three times a day and all of your health problems with disappear within three weeks. Do you believe it? The first thing I did was look up the health claims of honey. Wow! There are hundreds, maybe even thousands. Here are the top ten: Boosts your energy...Reduces muscle fatigue...Regulates blood sugar...Treats coughs...Heals wounds and cuts...Beats insomnia...Good for your skin...reduces your weight and Improves digestion.

Is that great or what? I say it is. There aren't really any bad side affect of this sweet bee nectar so long as you are above two years of age, but remember, sugar is sugar so don't get carried away. Now let's talk about cinnamon. All cinnamon is not created equal. The verdict is still out on the affect cinnamon has on your health but over all, the follow things are widely thought to be true. It is rich in antioxidants, a natural anti-inflammatory, helps regulate blood sugar. But don't stop reading yet.

 There is more than one kind of cinnamon and if you are going to follow the health gurus such as Dr. Oz and drink a tea or eat cinnamon and honey three times a day ( one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon) There is Ceylon and Cassia. All of the cinnamon you buy at the grocery store is Cassia. DO NOT USE IT FOR THIS HEALTH REGIMENT it contains high levels of coumarin which can cause liver damage within three weeks. If the bottle or jar doesn't say CEYLON don't bother to buy it.

 Still, does it work? I haven't a clue. I saw it on Dr. Oz and those of you who know me know I can't let anything go until I research it. I drink cinnamon and honey tea a couple times a day, but the problem with anything like this is that nothing beats a good diet with plenty of fruits and veggies and cool clear water. Did I mention how irritated I get at the health food store about the things they sell and people buy because the figure if it is a health food store, the stuff is healthy. NOT. I eat lunch most Sunday's at a health food store. When I am done, I get a chocolate bar. Is it healthy? NO. Neither is the Pops Kettle Corn or about two thousand other things I see every week, including organic Cassia cinnamon.

Do they have a lot of healthy organic food? Absolutely, but remember, no one is looking out for you health but you. See you next time. I can't imagine what will come to mind to talk about by then. Oh yes, one more thing. Another writer told me to try fried cucumbers and I did. Delicious. I used corn meal, a little sugar and an egg and some milk. Milk and an egg in one bowl and then put the slices in the corn meal and fry them in a little olive oil. Something different and tasty. Have a great week.