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Monday Question: Is there a song that can take you back to a memory?

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Hey GOB writers … Is there a song that can take you back to a memory?

Cathi:  It’s hard to remember this until it happens.  One song that does this for me is Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive from maybe 1985.  It’s not really one of my favorite songs – I wouldn’t normally seek it out.  But whenever I happen to hear it, which is maybe every few years, I’m take back to being 16 and on a trip to Germany.  I was at some sort of fair, riding a ride like a Scrambler (pic). I had been gone for 3 weeks and was homesick.  I loved my trip, my German club classmates, and the people I met in Germany.  But, the song still gives me an empty feeling of being homesick.

Christie:  Absolutely! Music has played a big role in my life which means that songs can trigger memories or memories can trigger songs in my head.  Either way, just about every big event in my life has a song (or songs) attached to it. Right now I’m in the childhood home of a lifelong friend of mine and remember us at eight years old, listening and singing to a Donny Osmond record.  Later at 19, Tom Petty’s “Here Comes My Girl” was one of the morning songs that an old boyfriend would leave on a walkman for me when I came into work a few hours later than him.  How romantic was that for my young self and how old am I that I used a walkman? You young writers can google what that is!  Nowadays, I have added podcasts to the memory inducing mix … like Serial, that got me and a friend through a cross-country road trip with fast food and her sweet dog, Mitzi.

 

 

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Monday Question: Where do you write?

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Hey GOB writers, can you share your favorite writing places?

Cathi:  This question should be where do you write most productively.  I wish, wish, wish I could say my lovely, comfortable office.  But there are 2 problems with this.  One, the comfort piece.  There a sleeping, snoring, old cat on my desk. There’s a sleeping warm dog at my feet, and often on them.  Especially this time of year, there’s a beautiful tree out of my window changing its colors nearly daily.  Two, the distraction piece.  I have an L shaped desk, running the length of 2 walls.  One side, the one facing said tree, is for writing.  The other side, only a few feet away, is my regular job, managing the family business. There are always emails, texts, and temptations and necessity pulling me over there.  Additionally, I am lucky enough to have a group of teenagers stopping by on their scattered high school lunch hours, and a house of tasks always needing to be done (the challenge of anyone who works from home).

Since I’m not as productive as I would like to be in the home office lately, I’ve temporarily exiled myself. I’m at a coffee shop this morning. Soon off to the library because I’m freezing. Short answer, today I’m writing anywhere but home.

Christie:  Technically I can write anywhere that my computer works, but that doesn’t mean I do. Right now I’m writing on the dining room table, half listening to football and the commentary that my son is adding to the games. But this isn’t ideal. If I didn’t have a deadline to get this post done then I wouldn’t even attempt writing with these distractions. I also have been avoiding my desk area that is set up in the spare bedroom because there is too much clutter associated with all my other responsibilities and the recent move. My dream space would be a bright office overlooking the water completely devoid of anything except writing related materials. If I win the lottery, and this dream becomes a reality, then I will post the pictures.  In the meantime, for a couple of weeks I will have to test out the local coffee shops while they are repairing a water main in my building. In the past getting out of the house has been productive for me so hopefully, history repeats itself.  Who knows, maybe I can find a coffee shop that overlooks the ocean …

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Monday Question: Horror movies … what do you think?

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Hey GOB writers, you write mysteries but do you like horror movies?

Christie:  That’s a loaded and complicated question. I love the days when I write from the point of view of the serial killer but can’t stand slasher films. I like to scare other people but my kids have seen my wrath when they try it back.   I couldn’t get enough of Stephen King books in high school but vowed never to watch another Friday the 13th movie after a terrifying experience in 11th grade. If I had to analyze this dichotomy then I would say that I’m easily scared so I’m the perfect horror movie viewer but my heart can’t take that fear too often and I need that organ to live.  I have a friend who loves horror movies and convinced me to go with her once. It was The Village and she thought it was very tame while I squeezed the blood out of her hand. I survived the experience and found that I do love the suspenseful scary just not the gory scary. I’m currently watching Castle Rock on Hulu because of the connection to Stephen King (already mentioned I’m a fan) and let’s just say I double lock the doors and jump at every sound afterwards … and I can’t wait until the next episode.

Cathi:  I, too, am a Stephen King fan.  Long ago, when I was teaching Composition classes, I once taught an essay from King entitled Why We Crave Horror Movies.  I don’t remember the exact details, but King made a compelling argument that it’s part of the human condition to enjoy being scared from time to time.  If it’s a spectrum thing, I’m on the if-it’s-not-too-scary side of enjoying horror movies.  I enjoy the October re-runs of Scream and Halloween, but that’s my limit.  My daughter lands at the other end. She can’t get enough of horror movies.  She’s been anticipating The Nun for months. I don’t like it and I don’t get it, but I know I’ve got a date if I get the nerve to go the theater this fall to see the next installment of Halloween franchise.

 

 

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Monday Question: Favorite Holiday?

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It’s Labor Day! Hey GOB Writers, what’s your favorite holiday?

No question, it’s Thanksgiving. I love food. I love to cook. I love to entertain. The trifecta. Especially now that I host most of the holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving has risen among its competitors. I love the planning (the lists!), the prep, the day of cooking (and wine drinking, obviously). The reason it’s my favorite is definitely NOT watching everyone consume – in record time – the food it’s taken days to prepare. Instead, it’s the lingering around the table together, talking for hours. Time with my people. That’s the winner for me.

This is a hard one for me because just describing a day as a holiday makes it a reason for a party, in my book. My favorite has varied depending on my age, the age of my children, and the amount of family and friends around to share it with me.  Last year … or this year … not sure which, it was New Year’s Eve. I usually fall asleep before midnight but this time I had lots of friends and family over and we walked to a nearby beach where they have a festival like celebration with the streets closed, bands playing, and a countdown at midnight. This year it will probably be Thanksgiving because I hope to have a big group of family and friends in my new place. But who knows, Halloween can always jump up there with new ghost stories … and Christmas with my infamous Yule Log …

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Monday Question: Do you Listen to Music While Writing?

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Cathi:  I do listen to music while I’m writing. What I listen to varies based on what I’m working on and how I’m feeling.  If I’m sluggish and need some motivation, I’ve got a Kickass Writing Playlist I’ve created. Dancing in my office is often involved, as is loud, and poor, singing. If I’m drafting, I love classical, especially YoYo Ma.  If I’m in the revising mode, my life right now, I love the Kinks Lights Out albums. My husband went to graduate school in Oregon, and he introduced me to these amazing CDs from a radio station in Portland. It’s a jazz mix from various artists and happens to be a great writing vibe.  

Christie:  I often listen to music while writing, especially when I am trying to get into a routine. I live in a condo in a populated area so my quiet time can be punctuated with more than the usual household sounds. These irregular noises can be distracting so I like to put on a Spotify playlist like Deep Focus. If I’m building suspense then I find a playlist like Dark Horror Music. When I’m writing the POV of the killer, I find something that matches, which in the last book, Gator Moon, I played Native American Tribal Drums and Flutes. When I need a break then I dance and sing (sorry, neighbors) to rock music, like my all time favorite … Tom Petty!

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