Write Like the Masters

My new book on writing, Write Like the Masters: Emulating the Best of Hemingway, Faulkner, Salinger and Others, will be published by Writer's Digest Books in 2009.

So many people today are banging their brains out against their keyboards asking themselves, “Why can’t I write like the greats?” when the simple answer is that you can. First, though, you need to come to grips with the fact that the greats were educated quite differently from you and me. Unfortunately, during the past eighty or so years writers have not received instruction in a vital training method that their predecessors routinely employed to improve their skills. Indeed, this neglected technique is one of the most important training methods ever developed for writers, a technique which was used with spectacular results for two thousand years but which was suddenly dropped from the curriculum. Almost every great writer studied these methods, but you were probably denied access to them by a recent change in our educational system. Chances are that when you discover this lost technique, and practice this forgotten art, the experience will have an explosive impact upon your writing and will do for you what it did for Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, Swift, T.S. Eliot and countless others, infusing new life into your work and jump-starting your creative career.

Too Much Debt Can Impede Artistic and Personal Progress

There is one thing that is nearly universal with all artists, and that is financial difficulties, especially early in their careers. Faulkner said he didn't care much for money, and that he was more interested in work. Yet no artist, and no person, can survive long without some money. One particularly vexing problem is that lack of funds can lead to taking on too much debt. This simply means borrowing beyond your ability to repay. The interest rate can add to the problem. Before you know it, you could be so far behind you feel helpless. Too much debt can make it hard for you to obtain credit in the future. It can cause problems at work if your wages are garnished. And it can lead to problems at home. This is where IVA can help. First, they can help you lower your monthly payments by a whopping sixty-five percent. Second, they can handle negotiations with all of your creditors, making life a little easier for you. Third, they can arrange things so that you make one convenient monthly payment, instead of having to write multiple checks or make multiple withdrawals from your online bank accounts. All in all, it's a way to a clearer future and a brighter tomorrow financially. And what could be better than that? Visit IVA today!

No one wrote dialogue like D.H. Lawrence

Why is it that no one wrote dialogue like D.H. Lawrence? Probably because he based his approach on two things: a correct understanding of form and an ability to translate what he knew intuitively about people onto the written page. These two conditions are essential to good dialogue, and understanding his approach can help even beginning writers craft lively, intelligent dialogue.

The first thing to understand is correct form. This entails giving a line of speech, and an attribution. Lawrence observes good form in all cases. In Women In Love, for instance, there is a scene in chapter 6 which illustrates Lawrence's command of this device of dialogue. Gerald and Rupert are in a cafe talking with a Miss Darrington, whom Gerald finds attractive. The key to the dialogue is in Lawrence's descriptions of the participants between each speech.

"How long are you staying?" she asked him.
"A day or two," he replied. "But there is no particular hurry."
Still, she stared into his face with that slow, full gaze which was so curious and so exciting to him. He was acutely and delightfully conscious of himself, of his own attractiveness. He felt full of strength, able to give off a soft of electric power. And he was aware of her blue, exposed-looking eyes upon him. She had beautiful eyes, flower-like, fully opened, naked in their looking at him. And on them there seemed to float a curious iridescence, a sort of film of disintegration, and sullenness, like oil on water. (Note 1)

The extended description of Gerald's reaction to the girl and the loving attention given to the description of her eyes provides a world of detail not commonly given in dialogue in most novels. Lawrence was unique in his ability to find the right language to describe eyes, looks, and expressions. He also knew what was relevant: Gerald's desire, the girl's staring at him, the prolonged gaze, the way they looked at one another, and the words that would express it in a language full of connotation and emotion. Where could he have learned this skill? Certainly it is not apparent in any other novelist, although there were descriptions of couples in Hardy and George Eliot, both of whom he admired.

He told Jesse Chambers, his girlfriend, how he proposed to begin The White Peacock.

"The usual plan is to take two couples and develop their relationships," he said. "Most of George Eliot's are on that plan. Anyhow, I don't want a plot. I should be bored with it. I shall try two couples for a start." (Note 2)

The same plan was used for Women in Love, the two couples being the sisters Ursula and Gudrun, and the two men being Rubert and Gerald, two close friends. But Lawrence focused more on the relationships of the individuals than on the plot, and the story has a kind of episodic feel to it. Each chapter is filled with scenes depicting the deep emotional relationships. Lawrence clearly picked up some skills from his predecessors, but he developed the technique of good dialogue through his own invention.

References

1. 1920. Women In Love. New York: Penguin, 1983. Page 57.
2. Lawrence, quoted in D.H. Lawrence and Germany: The Politics of Influence. By Carl Krockel. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2007.

Speech to Text Program

Many speech to text programs are available, but Dragon Naturally Speaking is one of the more interesting. They are also offering coupon codes allowing 10-25% off. That is interesting because it can allow you to get in on all the fun of talking and seeing your words appear (as if by magic) on your screen. This is something writers dream about. But now the thrill of owning the software can be yours. The fact is that as computers become faster and smarter they will eventually be able to get your words 100 percent right. Today that is only a dream, and the program doesn't claim perfect accuracy. What it can do today, however, is amaze you with its speed and accuracy. There is no way to describe this fully without inviting you to take a look at the program itself. You've probably already heard about it and what it can do. Perhaps one of your friends or colleagues has the program. Well, the latest edition is filled with marvels, and you will enjoy the ease and flexibility it gives you. "Look, Ma, no hands!" The coupons expire on December 31, 2008. If you are purchasing the software for business, you can still write it off for 2008 taxes if you purchase by December 31st. These are the coupons you can use:

• $50 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred
• $25 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Standard
• $25 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -MacSpeech Dictate

You can also use the $50 Coupon Code- DNSMSBG -Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred.

How to Pace a Narrative

Edgar Rice Burroughs was a master of pace, but he didn't know all the tricks right off the bat. In fact, he had to write a few books before he acquired the knack of making readers turn pages. True, his plots were exciting, but the key pacing tools only came later, after he had completed A Princess of Mars. (Note 1) With later books he learned two things that helped him pace his stories for maximum excitement. These devices can be employed by any writer who gives thought the the shape of a story.

The first technique is to switch action between one person in one chapter and another person in the next. For example, in some of his books, such as Tarzan, Burroughs employs this device. By leaving one character, the reader is forced to wait until his story is rejoined. This enhances suspense and helps pace a story.

The other technique is to speed up the action for certain sections and then pause and slow things down. In this way, manipulating the tempo of the narrative, Burroughs keeps the reader involved but not exhausted. By making everything run at top speed, some writers fail to pace themselves. Just as a runner cannot win a race by running at top speed the entire time, a writer should vary the pace to achieve maximim effect. For example, in A Fighting Man of Mars there are extended scenes where Hadron of Hastor is searching on the Red Planet for a missing princess. These slower-moving sections allow Burroughs to build up tension. These scenes also vary the intensity of the story and contrast with the exciting fights, battles, and near-death escapes that occur in other sections.

References

1. Lupoff, Richard A. Edgar Rice Burroughs, master of adventure. Revised and enlarged edition. New York: Ace, 1968. p. 48.
2. P. 84. (A "dramatic pause or contrast" makes for effective pacing.) Theory and the Novel: Narrative Reflexivity in the British Tradition. Jeffrey Williams. Cambridge University Press, 1998.
   

Donate Heroes at Home Wish Registry from Sears

The world is once again at war. As many historians have noted, it is rare for the world not to be at war. This time the United States is at war in Iraq. The soldiers in Iraq are not at home. They are in a foreign land. Their families are home in the United States. Therefore there is an opportunity to contribute to these soldiers. The contribution will go to Sears and is not tax deductible. Then Sears will send Sears gift cards to the soldiers. The program is known as Sears Heroes at Home. The soldiers and their families can shop at Sears. They can use their gift cards at Sears. If the item they want costs more than the face value of the gift card they will have to pay cash. The program is intended to help soldiers. It is intended to help families. It is intended to help Sears to help these people. Your contribution can be made. You can contribute to Sears. You can donate money to Sears. The importance of this effort cannot be underestimated this holiday season. Once again a large corporation is involved. Once again charity is invoked. Once again money is being solicited. And once again the idea of helping is emphasized. You are encouraged to donate to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry today.

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Introductions

One thing Edgar Rice Burroughs did better than most writers today is he started his stories right. He didn't jump in with some absurd name or some exotic location, as many SF writers do. It's like they think they need to wow you right off the bat with their fantasy world. The fact is they're alienating readers and making it difficult. ERB never did that. Instead he began in familiar territory. He began in this world before he talked about another world. He began with the familiar. In this way he treats us to a rare joy, namely, the pleasure of starting in the world we know and then gradually transitioning into another world. In this way he prepared us for the unexpected and makes his new setting believable.

For example, in the first John Carter novel, we begin on Earth. We start in Arizona. The hero is a rancher before he ever becomes a space traveler. We understand him and his world because it is Earth. Then when the transition comes and we find ourselves on Mars, we are not disoriented. Because we are still with John Carter, someone we have come to know in the first few pages of the book — on Earth. In this way, ERB handled transitions like a pro. Most important, he handled introductions like a pro. It is a shame that his books, in those wonderful Ace editions, are not available today. (Photo: Cover of Out of Time's Abyss.)

Your Wishes Granted

This blog about art and artists sometimes talks about seasonal issues, such as the holidays. There is a new device that is available. The device is described at got a wish. It is a CEIVA digital photo frame. The frame can hold photos. It can also upload photos. What makes it unique is that your friends and family can upload photos to your frame with a cell phone or computer. Then you can see them. More info available at http://www.sitonsantaslap.com/?utm_source=b . The site uses a sophisticated technology. With it, you can upload your photo. We tried it. Then you will see the Santa character. You will see his elf. They will see your photo. They will open a book. Inside the book they will read your wish. They did read our wish. Your wish will be written with your name. That happened to us. Then they will make an announcement. Then they will ask if you are deserving of gifts this year. The whole production is professional. The frame is a state of the art device. The frame is unique in many ways. The frame will make friends and family talk about you and your choice of picture frames. There is even a contest. What happens is that one random entry will be chosen for each day of the contest, and the cash prize is five hundred dollars for each winner. Anyway, I just uploaded my family photo here. It's a lot of fun. And I'm hoping that Santa will grant my wishes this Christmas.

Ray Bradbury

When writing a story it is important to consider the device of point of view. Many books are written in multiple point of view. In fact this is the point of view recommended by Al Zuckerman in his book Writing a Blockbuster Novel. But this point of view is not necessary for a bestseller or for any novel. There are other points of view that are sometimes more appropriate. For instance, the point of view in The Catcher in the Rye, which was a phenomenal blockbuster, is first person. And the point of view in 1984, another blockbuster, was third person limited. The point of view of Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is also third person limited, and it, too, was a terrific success. Let's examine why you might want to adopt the third person limited point of view.

Bradbury uses the point of view of Montag, the protagonist, throughout the story. His protagonist is a man who is an outsider. Like Winston Smith in 1984, Montag thinks differently. In his future society, Montag knows that it is a crime to read books. That is why the society hires firefighters to burn books. Montag begins to think this might be a mistake and he begins to love books. He is then hunted and chased as a criminal. At the end of the novel he meets a community of other people who love books. They each have dedicated their lives to memorizing one book. In this way they can preserve the knowledge of that book for future generations.

Bradbury uses the third person limited viewpoint because he wants to focus on the central character to the exclusion of all the others. In other words, the character of Montag, who begins to see the truth of his world, is the important focal point. Seeing everything through his eyes makes the story unified and tight and gives readers a vicarious experience that illustrates how a character comes to see the world in a new way. The story works best by keeping to this limited viewpoint.

For example, Bradbury gets very close to the inner thoughts of Montag when the man is injured and on the run: "A shotgun blast went off in his leg every time he put it down and he thought, you're a fool, a damn fool, an awful fool, an idiot, an awful idiot, a damn idiot, and a fool, a damn fool." (121) This kind of close investigation into the psyche of the central character is what makes the book so personal and moving. The reader is never distracted by thoughts from other characters. The entire story is seen from one limited viewpoint, Montag's. We are made to care for him by this close focus on his perceptions.

The reason it is called third-person limited is that we are limited to one character's viewpoint and are not distracted by the thoughts of other people in the story. This works particularly well when you wish your reader to see events from one point of view. In 1984 we never know what O'Brien or Julia are thinking. In Fahrenheit 451 we never know what his wife, Millie, or Montag's friend Clarisse are thinking. Because of this tight focus the story is unified and the central character's consciousness becomes our consciousness too. It is for this reason that an intense novel, one with a strong point or theme, often works best as third-person limited instead of omniscient.

20% Off 4 Great Personalized Holiday Gift ideas

Any writer worth his salt needs to have one essential item these days, and that is a USB flash drive. I personally don't see how you can live without them. And personalized holiday gifts make giving these items a breeze. In fact, until the end of the year Pexagon has 20% off four personalized gifts. First, you can obtain personalized thumb drives, which are available in fourteen colors, and in sizes up to 16GB capacity. These babies come with complimentary custom laser engraving. You can choose from dozens of different themes, such as "#1 Teacher" or "Happy Holidays"; and in addition you can engrave two lines of personalization text on the reverse side. Whenever the recipient uses the drive they'll see your message. These items start at $7.99 after discount. Second, personalized pens in three different and unique styles, with multiple colors and a free line of personalized laser engraved text. These start at $1.59 after discount. Third, is the very essential business card flash drives. They resemble a business card but the back side contains a hidden USB cable. They have a generous 2GB capacity. The front side may be engraved for free with three lines of text. These start at $15.99 after discount. Fourth, is a wooden USB flash drive, which is touted as being environment-friendly with its wooden design. It has an attached cap and comes in two color choices. These are available in 2GB and 4GB capacities with 2-sided custom laser engraving free. They start at $15.99 after discount. So, get yours today!

Tom Wolfe's Style

The New Journalism is a style of writing nonfiction using fiction techniques. The fiction techniques include the use of scenes, character development, dialog, and penetrating into the central consciousness of characters to reveal their thoughts. In some cases the author will put himself into the story, too.

The techniques of the New Journalists were borrowed from fiction writers. Which is why Tom Wolfe's writing style -- in books like The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Write Stuff, and Hooking Up -- can easily be adopted by fiction writers. In fact Wolfe used all of the New Journalism techniques when he began writing fiction. The Bonfire of the Vanities, for example, uses scenes, develops characters, and is filled with realistic dialog. In addition, Wolfe penetrates into the minds of most of the characters with the kind of interior monologues that make fiction so exciting. For example, take a look at this shot into the mind of Sherman McCoy when he is arrested:

Sherman reached around to his right to retrieve his jacket and pull it over the handcuffs. When he realized that he had to move both hands in order to pick up the coat, and when the effort caused the manacles to cut into his wrists, a flood of humiliation . . . and shame! . . . swept over him. This was himself, the very self who existed in a unique and sacrosanct and impenetrable crucible at the center of his mind, who was now in manacles . . . in the Bronx . . . Surely this was a hallucination, a nightmare, a trick of the mind, and he would pull back a translucent layer . . . and . . .

The excerpt from The Bonfire of the Vanities contains a description of what's happening and also zips into the mind of McCoy. In fact, this little passage is somewhat self-referential and hints at exactly how Wolfe achieves his effects. It's a little writer's "trick of the mind" in which the writer seems to open up the mental activity of a character and give us entree into his consciousness. Moreover, Wolfe tells us just where the writer of fiction should aim his intracranial microscope, right into the "unique and sacrosanct and impenetrable crucible at the center of his mind"; a place which, when a writer sets his sights on it, actually isn't that impenetrable after all! That's one of the big joys of writing in the New Journalism style -- you get to look deep into the soul of the boy sitting next to you, to use one of Woody Allen's phrases. In short, you get to see inside another person's mind.

Are you an Action AllStar?

We at Ars Artiste are big fans of games. We play online chess all the time. We also have tried the new sports online game called ActionAllStars.com. This game offers a chance for free fun and safe play. It is perfect for children of all ages who like basketball or other sports. We tried the avatar. The avatar is a sports hero. You can name your avatar. We named our avatar. Then you can make your avatar walk. We made our avatar walk. The avatar is a boy or a girl. The boy avatar is an athlete. The girl avatar is also an athlete. The avatar is a cartoon character. The fun thing about the site is creating the avatar. The worst part of the experience was the difficulty controlling the avatar. The mind is much quicker than the controls offered. Nevertheless the game developers put a lot of effort into this game and they deserve credit. I can envision a time in the near future when people will play games with avatars and not actually go to the gym or play sports. I think the time will come very soon when we can play computer games for hours and notice no difference between online games and reality. Current partners include MLB.com (MLBAM), NBA.com (National Basketball League), and ConnectSafetly.org, which are current ActionAllStars.com partners. Check this out today and have fun.

Tom Wolfe's Critique of American Fiction

Tom Wolfe's complaint about modern American fiction is simple. There are not enough writers taking the challenge to report on the American scene the way Steinbeck did. Steinbeck, who wrote The Grapes of Wrath after making a trip to California and witnessing firsthand how the migrant farmers worked, was able to capture all the elements of the current American situation because he got his hands dirty, mingled with real people, and wasn't afraid to report what he had observed. By Wolfe's criterion, one of the best novels of recent time would be his A Man in Full, precisely because it is filled with realistic details about America today. Wolfe's critique can be found in his essay "My Three Stooges" in Hooking Up. (Photo: John Steinbeck)

Family Gifts for Less at Sears

This blog for artists is also aware that this is a holiday season. Shoppers will be pleased to know that Sears has a very low price, in fact the lowest price of the holiday season, on its amazing and unique $279.99 Fullerto seven foot long pool table, which comes with a table tennis conversion top. This item usually sells for $399.99. The pool table allows you to play pool indoors or out, depending on the time of year, your location, and where you install the item. You can perfect all your pool skills. The table allows you to play all kinds of pool games. Paul Newman and Cool Hand Luke will have nothing on you once you install this professional pool table in your home or vacation resort. But that's only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. For Sears also has a deluxe, full-color, cable-ready, and remote-controlled $199.99 Sylvania 20 inch type LCD High Definition TV, which allows you to save $100 when you make your purchase, while quantities last. They also want you to know about their state of the art Canon Powershot 8.0-megapixel 4X optical zoom digital camera. This item sells for only $149.99 before a $20 instant savings. Before you know it you'll be a professional photographer with this quality camera which is getting rave reviews. The sale dates are December 7th to 13th, 2008. So, hurry check Sears today.

Knut Hamsun's Style

One of the hallmarks of Hamsun's style was his use of dream sequences. In Mysteries he uses the technique on the last pages of the book in such a way that the reader does not realize it is a dream sequence until it is over. In an earlier passage Hamsun uses a similar technique by convincing the reader that the hero is committing suicide by drinking poison from a vial he carries about his neck. Unknown to the hero, and also unknown to the reader, the poison has been removed from the vial by Miniman, a friend of the hero. Hamsun gives us a fun ride, however, as we think the protagonist is getting sick and approaching death. We believe that, and so does Nagel, the hero. "How his eyes were growing dim already!"¹ Hamsun tells us, along with plenty of other exciting details, so that the reader is convinced the hero is about to die. A few pages later the truth is revealed, and the hero wakes up as if from a dream. So does the reader.

This technique of departing from reality (with dreams or with hallucinatory sequences) allows Hamsun to penetrate into the central nervous system of his protagonist and render thoughts in a passionate manner. Like Dostoevsky, it also allows him to move the story along at a fast exciting pace. Few writers use thoughts and dreams with such narrative power. Even Joyce's interior monologues and Wolfe's don't have such profluence, the power to move a story forward.

References

Hamsun, Knut. Mysteries. 1892. Translated by Sverre Lyngstad. New York: Penguin, 2001. Pp. 245-248.

MaryJane Goods: High Science High Art

MaryJaneGoods.com has a new site for those who are interested in the alternative lifestyle and for those who advocate the legalization of cannabis.
Mary Jane Goods offers a number of different products. Shown here are the t-shirt with various names of marijuana written on it. And the "art stash box." This is a six-inch by six-inch poplar wood box in the form of a cube and it comes in various different colors (painted, of course) to match the wall of any room. It also has a genetic image of C. Sativa on the front. It is a very nice conversation piece as well as functional. The function is all up to the user. Some people might use it to store matches, others toothpicks, and still others various herbs. We cannot say what you will use it for, all we can say is that it is a popular item and that it has many uses, all of which are appropriate. In addition the print on the front glows in the dark. It is actually hollow and has no back, meaning that you can hide anything small inside it and most people will never think to look inside. Mary Jane Goods also wants you to know that their t-shirt is a very popular item with people who wish to advertise subtly and discreetly that they are in sympathy with the early writings of Aldous Huxley and his call for a new type of soma to be available to the masses. Not much has been done in the field of developing the kinds of recreational substances he described in The Doors of Perception, but your wearing of this t-shirt would certainly have pleased him and those who followed in his footsteps.

Mixing It Up Knut Hamsun-Style

Knut Hamsun mixes past and present in his characters' minds more easily than most novelists, even those who, like Joyce and Wolfe, were known for the strream of consciousness technique. In fact, in the mind of his characters the past and present don't simply swirl around one another, they merge and meld with bewildering psychological power so that when characters become confused, so do readers; and this confusion is all part of Hamsun's technique. For example, in Victoria the romantic male hero, Johannes, overhears an insult uttered by the Lieutenant, who is engaged to Victoria, the woman Johannes loves. Earlier still, years ago, Victoria had kissed Johannes. Now, thinking over the insult he has overheard, Johannes's thoughts meld three distinct time periods together -- the insult, the kiss and the fact that the Lieutenant and Victoria are walking together:

One day she had kissed him, once upon a time, one summer. It was so long ago, God knows if it was even true. How was it, weren't they sitting on a bench? They talked together for a long time, and when they left he came so close to her that he touched her arm. Then, in front of an entrance, she kissed him. I love you! she said. . . . By now they had walked past, perhaps they were sitting in the pavilion. The Lieutenant would give him a smack on the ear, he said. He heard it quite clearly, he wasn't asleep; but he didn't get up and step forward either. An officer's hand, he said. Oh, well, it didn't matter. . . .¹

This kind of blending of past and present gives a very intimate look at the processes of the human mind under duress and under the power of deep emotion, humiliation, and memory. The novel was made into a film by director Bo Widerberg, famous for the film Elvira Madigan, another lushly romantic story. There are similarities between the two stories of lovers who cannot fulfil their love. In Hamsun's story the major obstacle is the fact that Victoria is not true to her deepest feelings; she represses her true love for Johannes so that she can marry a welathy man and save her father's estate. As a result of her lack of conviction, both she and Johannes are doomed to a life without true love.

Reference

1. Hamsun, Knut. 1898. Victoria. Translated by Sverre Lyngstag. New York: Penguin. 2005.
   

A Biographer's Helpful Research Tool

Now you can know your felon better than he knows himself. This service allows you, the private researcher, to conduct a thorough Prison Inmate Search. The results of such a search will reveal intimate secrets about inmate records and also inmate license records and many other relevant details and records. This search works for every state and can be completed quickly online. This service is especially useful for biographers who are writing about celebrated people (such as Norman Mailer) who were jailed for civil disobedience. But it can also be used for other purposes.

Knut Hamsun's Life

Born in 1859 in Norway, Hamsun was a middle child. He traveled to the United States a number of times, working as a streetcar conductor and doing other menial jobs. His most ambitious project in America, however, was giving a series of lectures on the novel. Eventually he returned to Norway and continued to speak on the topic of the contemporary novel. Hamsun had new ideas, and he would use these ideas to write a new kind of fiction. His books would break from the traditional linear progression of a story and include emotional content, backstory, and dream sequences that let him portray the emotional state of his characters with great delicacy and detail.

Hamsun ran into difficulty during World War Two. He was so anti-British that he supported Hitler, even when the Germans marched into Norway and occupied the country. After the war he was fined for supporting the Germans and he lost a considerable amount of money. His work was also slighted and ignored. This is an unfortunate result of his strong political views. It was not that Hamsun was so pro Germany; in fact, when Norwegians were executed, he tried to have the process of killings stopped. It was his anti-British feelings that caused him to lose perspective and support the Germans. Because of this support, his work fell into disfavor after the war, and he is relatively unknown today in America

Yet Hamsun's writing was read closely by Hemingway and Kafka, among others. They sought to learn the secrets of his style and to apply his technical mastery of emotional content to their own work. We will look carefully at Hamsun's techniques in this blog (in later posts) to see what we can learn from this iconoclastic writer. We will discover that the emotional life of a character can be conveyed by dream sequences, by poetic writing, and by abandoning a linear plot to adhere more closely to the vagaries of the human heart. In this way, writers can learn to use the same devices that Hamsun used to good effect in his novels.

Optimize Your Page Rank

Artists and businessmen need to have good Web sites. These Web sites need to have good formats so that they show up in Google and other search engine systems. The way to achieve high visibility is with a process called fixing the URL links in your pages. Of course, you could do this manually, but why would you want to? It takes so much time to hunt through all that code, looking for broken links or dynamic links. Instead of looking for dynamic links yourself, why not fix the problem the smart way. That is, why not use a software program to automate the task for you. In this way you will be sure to get it right. And osCommerce SEO is one terrific program. It combs through your Web site and fixes the dynamic URLs and makes them static. This has two effects. First, it ensures that your pages are stable. And second, it makes you look good to search engine robots. Looking good to the Google robot, which scans your pages, is very important. You know that if you look good to the robot you're likely to have a higher page rank. And page rank is one of the most important things you wish to achieve for your Web site. With high page rank you can obtain more customers and increase traffic.

Philip K. Dick's House

You have been walking the long and lonely streets for days now, stunned into amazement by the Grateful Dead concert footage your friend Bob showed you, and then it hits you that Bob lived in a home — a cozy little home, actually a cozy spacious home, come to think of it — in Seattle, Washington, and when he showed you the movie he took you down into the basement, which he had set up as a theatrical showing area, and then afterward you went up, met his lovely wife, and saw his library — that's right, the guy had a library in his house, a room totally devoted to books and nothing else! — and then you saw the kid's bedroom, and finally you sat in front of his fireplace in the living room and had a nice snack with him and his lovely family, all in a house that he bought for $30,000. Sounds a lot like the house Philip K. Dick lived in. Maybe you are in a time warp and have become merged somehow with the timeline of Philip K. Dick's life. (Video review is succinct and marvelous. Bravo!)

Who Wants to Play?

All music lovers will love Kerchoonz, a Web site that allows you to download music. The fact is that musicians and producers will love it too. Why? Because you, the musician, are paid every time someone downloads your songs, even if the download is free. The concept behind this site is simple. The music industry has suffered a great deal in recent years from competition from YouTube and other sites that provide free music to Internet users. But this new Web site allows artists to receive compensation when their work is downloaded. This means the more popular your work, the more you will earn. The site also boasts a million hits in less than its first month, and it expects to increase this traffic exponentially in the near future as more people and more music lovers find out about the vast collection of music available through this portal to the latest and hippest music. The way to use the site is simple, as is usual in the Internet world. You sign up for the site and then you can search for your favorite artists or specific tunes. Then you can listen to the music on your own computer. Every time you listen to a song you're helping the artist. Or, to be more specific, every time you actually download a song or an album you're helping the artist financially. In this way the site is ethical and respects the copyright and the moral rights of artists and producers and song owners. The user of the site can rest assured that they're fully in compliance with the copyright laws of all the respective countries, also, which is a good feeling. Sign up free for kerchoonz.com today and enjoy the music just like I do. I really love listening to music while I'm working or resting.

Knut Hamsun

Most novels tell a story in a linear fashion, beginning at one point in time and moving forward. They may employ the device of flashbacks, but this can be seen as a background device, nothing more. How close does this get to the psychic experience of a typical human, who often views the world in terms of his own memories and who experiences events in an emotional web which may very well distort linear time into a nonrecognizable format. One writer, Kunt Hamsun, boldly struck out from the norm and wrote in a style that was more dreamlike than linear. No wonder writers like Hemingway and Kafka admired and studied his work, hoping to learn a few new skills that could make their work more powerful.

Affordable Personalized Gifts

We cannot forget that artists are people too, and like anyone else they look forward to the holidays and they give and receive gifts. For the artist in your circle of friends, try the Photofiddle Before & After Sample. Photofiddle.com specializes in some excellent personalized gifts, which are priced to start at only $14.95. They also offer a quick turn around, which is especially nice to know during a holiday season! You can create a gift in minutes (and have fun doing it!) and within less than a week you'll receive your gift from Photofiddle.com. So, get yours today!

Press Release:

DECK THE WALLS WITH PHOTO ARTWORK MASTERPIECES ON CANVAS -

-- Just a Few Minutes of Fun to Create, and Less than a Week to Receive From Photofiddle.com --

LINDENHURST, NY, Dec. 3, 2008 – Holiday shoppers looking for low cost, original and thoughtful last minute gift can turn their best photos of precious moments, people and places into one-of-a- kind photo artwork at www.photofiddle.com.

Photofiddle offers numerous styles for both contemporary and conservative tastes. Simply upload and recreate a typical 3" x 5” snapshot into a compelling canvas piece or framed on archival photo paper in virtually any size. With over 70 instant designs from pop art to impressionist to choose from online, any photo design can be instantly shared with friends and family members in digital form, prior to ordering. And, because fiddling with several dozen designs and styles is lots of fun, gift certificates are available online, so recipients can fiddle their own photos for themselves.

With prices starting as low as $14.95 there is Photofiddle artwork available for any budget. Order by Dec. 18 in time for receipt before December 25.

PhotoFiddle, headquartered in Melville, New York, which PC Magazine gave 4 stars, on the Oprah O list, offers 4 day turnaround on customized photo-artwork that users design online, at far less cost than custom framers or home design professionals. For more information visit: www.PhotoFiddle.com.
See the Photofiddle.com before & after photo art gallery.
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Contact: Eric Gold
516-847-1152
Eric@photofiddle.com

Howard Lotsof Interview

My interview with the legendary Howard Lotsof went so well that I will never forget the experience. I met Howard this afternoon, the world's leading ibogaine researcher. I also met his wife, Norma, who has accompanied him on many of his ibogaine adventures around the world. I was even introduced to some of Howard's activist friends, including some who are very knowledgable about the effects of ibogaine and the method of conducting a Bwiti ceremony. To me, this was the most surprising part of the discussion, that there are a whole host of people, in the New York City area, who are experts in ibogaine.

Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry

I have been reading about the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry. They make life easier for families who have loved ones at war. The Heroes at Home Wish Registry has value this holiday season. It allows people to contribute to Sears so that Sears can give a portion of the contribution to the families of those who are fighting overseas. Any patriotic soul has to love this. Of course, the government will not let you write it off as a charitable tax deduction, but who cares? The cause is one that even Normal Mailer would have embraced. We encourage readers to donate their own time and effort, including cash contributions in whatever amount they find comfortable, to this cause. The purpose of such a donation can easily be seen. It will help the children and mothers of men fighting in Iraq. This will also help those stationed in South Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Central and South America. Our troops need us at this time of year, and so do their families. The fact that the new president was very patriotic should inspire us all. Not that we have to follow every step that a major politician makes, but his words of wisdom are relevant to this cause. "America is for everyone." This means that everyone who gives to this cause is giving to America. And in the end that will bring happiness to many worthy children. So, please donate to the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry today. Remember, Christmas is the time for sharing and giving.

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs had more imagination than an army of writers and could write more imaginative prose than most of the SF authors of the current generation. His mind was made for storytelling. The lastborn brother of a family of all boys, he swore he could write better than the pulp stories that were being published at the time, and he proved himself right. He created Tarzan and a good number of novels based on that character. The best novels he wrote, however, were undoubtedly the moon series (beginning with The Moon Maid), and the Martian series (beginning with The Warlord of Mars). My favorite is A Fighting Man of Mars.

Looking for Yamaha Parts?

I am intrigued by the life of Hunter S. Thompson, and ever since reading his book Hell's Angels I have been searching for quality yamaha parts. Sure, I like motorcycles. But did you know that if you're a major league baseball player you're prohibited from riding one? Yes, it's because the management does not want to lost its investment in a multi-million-dollar player. If he gets injured it's a loss for the team both strategically and financially. That tells you how safe motorcycles are, doesn't it? . . . I rode a cycle for a few months before it was stolen. I fell off it a few times, too. But I'm still enamored of the species, let me tell you. They are a machine that makes life more fun. So hurry, try to visit them today because the sale will end soon.