I'm uninspired tonight. Actually, I did get a fair amount done today, including catching up with my network manager job and researching places in Pennsylvania where we are considering moving. I also took my son to the batting cages to practice with his baseball team, but I apparently had the wrong time or they cancelled or something. It was okay, though. They are in a little park nearby where I've never been and we spent the time while waiting to see if anyone would show up to wander a couple of little paths through the trees and I had my camera so got some nice shots.

The sad thing was realizing how horribly out of shape I am. Walking up a small hill winded me much more than it should have. Guess I'm adding that to my to-do list this month: exercise more!!! If only it were warm enough to swim, I would have no problem doing that. Any other exercise, I have to force. Well, I suppose that little nudge tonight might help encourage me.

Now I'm off to try to get in my 1,000 words for today. I already have the last two days to make up.

My quote for today comes from the For Authors newsletter last week (I think that's the one it was in, anyway). I love this:

It has been nearly a whole month since I've actually written much of anything other than this blog which was as sporadic during April as PlannerDan says his is. It's been quite a month and I intended to go to bed early tonight to get a good start on the "next" section of the year. I've been trying to catch up on blogs I've missed instead, and I'm glad I got started, though I have many more to get to.

vivacious left me discombobulated (how's that for a word, Forever?) after one of her entries and I thank her heartily for the beautiful plug.

I also recommend her newest project:

1092568

Computer Savvy? Novice? Just Need Help?  [13+] Come and ask your questions, or give advice on computers and software here! by vivacious

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It's funny how we read blog entries and pick out one sentence that catches our attention more then all of the rest of the entry combined. Thank you to Tor and Chalaedra for pointing out that my comment about Texas trees was a bit near-sighted. In that whole huge state, most of what I know of it revolves around the one little town in which we lived (near Killeen). Honestly, I do know that northern Texas is more forested than central Texas, and we did go to a lake somewhere that was beautiful and tree-bordered (I forget where it was) so my husband could scuba-dive with his class. Yes, there are many different parts of the state with different landscapes. My memory stays focused, however, on the fact that I missed my trees in my little part of the state.

There were trees, of course, but in comparison with Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, of which I am more familiar, the Killeen area was very sparse indeed. I even used that longing (though I was there only a few months) in my first novel because it is such a strong memory.

Chalaedra mentioned wanting to get away from the tree-filled area so she could see forever. I had to chuckle at that, since a relative from Idaho said the same when she visited us in Massachusetts. She didn't know how we could stand being surrounded by all those trees so we couldn't see anything. My thought was ... why do I need to see more than this gorgeous nature? I've never lived where I could see mountains in the distance, though, and that's what she missed.

On the same track, a friend who visited recently remarked that she didn't realize we lived in the mountains. I know I had to have looked at her funny. We don't live in the mountains. We do live in the hills, and on a hill. I never thought about anyone seeing them as mountains.

I suppose it's all a matter of perspective. To me, being completely surrounded by trees so dense that I can barely see my neighbor's house across the road during the summer, Texas (at least my part of it) seemed amazingly sparse. Idaho and its tumbleweeds blowing across the desert highways is even more sparse. Again, northern Idaho is not so sparse -- it is forested and mountainous. Where my relatives live is nearly barren other than the crops that must get watered manually, and that is my main knowledge of the state.

The issue of perspective applies to everything we do. We all see things in a slightly different light, or maybe a hugely different light. It all stems from our own near-sighted personal experiences. That's a good thing to remember.

We spent most of yesterday on the Harley, cruising/visiting/sight-seeing/enjoying being together mostly alone, my husband and I. I took my digital and put it on sports mode while my husband maneuvered the bike through the streets of D.C. as a professional D.C. driver, as he used to be, and I acted like a tourist, though I'm not really anymore, as often as I've been there. I wanted to see what better angles I could get from the bike. Most turned out beautifully and I'll load a bunch of them into a photo album here soon.

The only flaw with the day was that my beloved trees are all in full bloom mode and they played havoc with my allergies. Three different types of allergy meds/decongestants couldn't touch their effect. Still, I would do it again. Today, I'm in the house with the air conditioner filtering most of it out, though I would much rather have my windows wide open.

I've been pondering the irony of it this morning ... how like my son and chocolate, which he craves but is hard on him, I adore those trees that cause me such physical irritation. My husband has mentioned settling in Texas, because it's warm for much more of the year, and that would be wonderful for my allergies, but I can't bear to move to a place where the trees are so much skimpier, smaller, and less densely populated. Nothing against Texas: I've lived there and enjoyed the state and its people, but it's too barren for me. I want to be surrounded by all that lush greenness that irritates my allergies so.

I suppose we all have those things that draw us to them although they cause us problems in some way. I would love to hear what yours are.

It was one of those trips that began with trepidation, grew to the point of thinking "I want to go home," then exploded into a fantastic climax of sights and sounds and emotions that eclipsed all the rest ... and in only six days.

Hmm ... that could be a decent story opening possibly. It isn't fiction, though.

We returned today from my hometown after traveling a day and a half each way to go to a family wedding. I wasn't wanting to travel again so soon. It's always a stressful thing to have to decide what to take and to leave and hoping all is okay while we're away. That doesn't include the emotions that come with living away from home and then seeing your family again so briefly. After the driving, we had only 3 1/2 days there, and so much to do in that time.

We arrived Wednesday around noon, went to have my son fitted for his tux and get my daughter a dress and run errands Thursday, visited with one of my sisters and then had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner Friday, and the wedding was Saturday morning. We left early Sunday.

The wedding was for my cousin ... the one who, while I was babysitting him and his siblings when he was 3 and 4, I had to hold on my lap with my arms tightly around him to keep him from badgering his baby twin siblings until they threw fits. He has grown into a remarkable young man and my son has always adored him to no end. He was his junior groomsman ... for the Celtic Catholic wedding.

I have never been to a Catholic wedding. I've really been to very few weddings of any kind. It was very nice; solemn, but light-hearted, and it pulled God into the marriage more than any others I have attended. (I have to say I was quite glad I didn't have to kneel so much in mine, though. My knees would not have been happy!)

At the reception, I saw family members I have not seen in many years, and conflicts tended to remain in the background while the celebration was swirling around us. There were lovely toasts and big smiles and hugs and fun dances, and several guests changed into jeans and/or T's or kicked off their shoes to dance more easily (much much different than CC's recent wedding experience) and I was sorry to see it end so soon. We stuck around to help clean up as much as possible, giving the family less to do (including the bride and groom who stayed to help instead of taking off as I think they should have, lol).

One of the best things about it was the memories it brought back.
A cousin I haven't seen in forever mentioned how we used to both live at Grandma's for a time, like sisters.
We teased the groom about how he threw pebbles at us instead of rice at our wedding (and promised we wouldn't do the same to him and his new bride!) and how our wedding video shows him break dancing in his suit (he was around 5 or 6 at the time).
The groom's older brother mentioned that he remembers being our ring bearer and how smug he felt in his silver tux and how he loved the whole thing.
And his sister went out during the reception and brought Grandma a bunch of lilacs as she sat in her wheelchair watching the celebration.

Grandma had gorgeous lilac trees all around her yard. I adored them, regardless of how allergic I am of them, and last year, I planted two in my own yard (but a fair distance from the house).

She doesn't remember much anymore, but once during the ceremony I could see she was enjoying the music. She loves church music. And once during the reception, she looked up and gave me a half grin and a wink. At least she remembered me for that moment.

Her house will soon be sold. While there, I went and reclaimed a drawing I did for Grandma and Grandpa of the trees in their back yard. It was a simple drawing, really; just charcoal pencil, but it was hung in a place of honor in Grandma's sun room. I will now find a place of honor for it in my home, not because it's mine, but because of what it meant to them. I also claimed a few old music books that were the inspiration for the first writing I ever did ... musical plays I wrote for my siblings, cousins, friends, and I to perform for the rest of the family in Grandma's sun room.

My cousin's (the groom) family had to attend a family funeral a few days before the wedding. It was a sad thing to have to do before such a celebration, but they said it also gave the funeral attendees an uplifting thought through the sadness; a light of hope and a view that things keep going around and renewing.

Arriving home today, I found that my lilac tree was in full bloom for the first time since planting it last year. It's Grandma's tree, and there will be more planted at our next house, along with Grandpa's sunflowers.

Well, I haven't received one of these reminders in a while.

I'm still away and busy, but it's a fun busy, though a bit up and down, as is normal, I suppose, when those of us who wander away from home return on occasion.

More later ... I'm attempting to use a flat keyboard instead of my ergonomic keyboard and it's a bit difficult.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

I just returned from Author Day at the middle school. It went alright. There were five of us alternating our talks, and it worked out well because two of us are fiction writers of different genres (I do literary romance and the other writes fantasy for both young teens and adults), two are non-fiction authors (one wrote a history of one of the Hawaiian islands -- traditionally published, the other a creative history of his town in the 50s -- self-published in the original sense, not pod), and the other is a poet who has had some of her poems published. Two are teachers/subs at the school and the eighth-graders enjoyed the familiarity and surprise at seeing the other side of them.

The set-up was done nicely. We were all in the chorus room and classes came and went and the five of us alternated talking. By the time we got to the end (it was a short day leading into Easter break), Ms. Miller, the media specialist in charge of the program apologized that I wouldn't have time to speak again. I told her it was quite alright and was really quite glad not to have to.

It went fine, though. I spoke to four different groups, roughly 300 students in all. The first time was rather rough and I fought nerves the whole time, not saying even half what I wanted to say, although I had my notes in front of me. Something funny happens when nerves strike. I lose the ability to read. Well...

The second group felt better and I admit I cheated. I gave them a brief introduction as to who I was and what I wrote and then said I wanted them to tell me what they wanted to know. I did get a few questions that way, long enough to fill my time slot.

The third group clicked. It rolled amazingly well. They were receptive and inquisitive and their questions were brilliant. One of them asked why it took me 10 years to write Rehearsal -- a fair question. It did give me the chance to emphasize that a first draft is "garbage" and yes, I used that term exactly. I was trying to point out that when they are writing papers and receive editing remarks from teachers, it is not a rejection of their talent, but a necessary part of the process. Another asked how many drafts it takes. When I said generally 3 or 4, their jaws dropped. One of the teachers at the end said she was glad I pointed that out to them, that it takes reworking to make a piece of writing worth reading.

Another point I tried to emphasize was how writing was important in figuring out things about yourself that you can't know in any other way, and that we all have a creative spark that has to be fulfilled.

There were other things I meant to say but a combination of nerves and time limits interfered. I'm thinking now that I would like to write essays about some of these things.

I did have a brainstorm about how I would allow them, or their parents, to find me after the talk today if they wanted to do so. A few weeks ago, I ordered pencils, but not regular pencils -- they have my website printed on them with the second line saying, "Author - Artist" and ... they are mood pencils. They change colors when they are held. I gave them each one as they were leaving (though I did miss a few) and they were very excited about it. I was hoping they weren't too old to think it was "cool" and my gamble worked. Last year I had flyers to hand out. I imagine they ended up smashed at the bottom of lockers and book bags. This year, they went out playing with and talking about the pencils. I'll have to remember to do the same next year.

One of the girls stopped to talk to me on her way out after questioning me in front of the whole group. She writes poetry and is interested in persuing it. In front of the group, I gave her a few tips about websites that run contests for young people, and suggested she talk to her parents about looking into WDC to get critiques and help. When she came to me privately, I told her she could check my website to find my email address and correspond for more info if she would like. I have my doubts that she will, but maybe she'll at least look into this site.

Overall, it was a very nice day. One of the other authors I especially enjoyed talking with and we're planning a coffee date when we can both fit it in.

Now on to the next project ... preparing to go out of state, including planting my cherry tomatoes and roses so they don't dry out while we're away.

Some of my best work has been done for contests here on the site. It seems rather strange to me, as I feel like my own inspirations should lead to my best writing, but maybe it's because contests pull me out of my safety zone and force me to expand my horizons.

I entered one last night for an image contest, something that will represent a forum, and just sent in another today for "Invalid Item" . I'm mentioning it here because I know many who read my ramblings have many wonderful thoughts of their own that would make great additions to this contest. *hint*

What I need to do today is to prepare for tomorrow's Author Day at one of our local middle schools. Last year was the first time the librarian (resource specialist in today's terms) organized the event, which aims at teaching eighth graders what is is like to be a writer. I was rather unprepared last year, as it was a new event just finding its ground, and I am so horrible at public speaking.

After the fourth or fifth class I spoke with, it did become a bit more comfortable. I actually spoke with 6th and 7th grade classes, also. The highlight was when about half a class of 6th graders stopped on their way out to ask me to sign their sheets of notebook paper. What a wonderful "thank you" that was!

This year, I am a bit less nervous, but have been having trouble finding a focus from which to start. Being a writer and talking about being a writer are so completely different. Okay, so I do some of that here, but that is also completely different than standing in front of a bunch of young teenagers! They are not easy to captivate, as they are largely at school under protest of a certain extent. Eighth graders are a hard group.

I mentioned the event to the psychologist (sandplay therapist) I work for and she sent the most wonderful email in reply, mentioning both writing without criticism and the importance of inner creativity. Yes. There's my focus. At that age, that is what may help draw them in to the importance of what I do; the importance of writing and how freeing it is to the soul and nurturing to the inner child.

So, armed with my focus, I'm off to gather my thoughts and a few short pieces of writing that are suitable for the age group, and I'm more looking forward to the event.

I'm trying to make myself be funny today. It's comedy month for resolution solution, and although I can do comedy and my one comedy piece in my port has received better reviews than anything else I've done, I find it much harder to think of something humorous to write than my normal "drama" stuff. That "stuff" word keeps popping up today, although it's not a word I use often. Hmm....

Sarah and vivacious 's entries were related today, both to each other and to something related to my comedy writing. They both talk about losing files in different ways. It made me remember, again, the writing I lost when I was 19 or 20. I had this big translucent brown file tub where I kept my bank statements, articles, photos, letters from my first "love," and my writing. Mind you, this was before household computers, so the writing was all original drafts and some of it was also the only draft.

One of these was the first bits of Rehearsal that I had dared put onto paper. There wasn't much of it and I remember it well enough that it wasn't a big issue to lose that, though it would be nice to have. What I regret losing most, though (other than the "love" letters), was a draft of a play I called "Hollywood Heroes." It was a spoof, using take-offs of actors of the time and it was actually rather funny, as I remember. Anyway, I was quite proud of it and wanted very much to finish the thing. Once it was lost, it was all erased from my memory and is completely gone. I still miss it and can't even begin to recall the premise enough to do anything with it.

That was the only actual "comedy" piece I've done ... until last year's Decathlon. I do use humor in Rehearsal quite often and I love hearing my daughter chuckle as she's reading the drafts. That's much different, though, than writing comedy.

I don't have much time to do it, either. Next week is spring break and I'll be going away for my cousin's wedding. The contest ends before I'll be back. Now to find an idea....

From the comments I received for yesterday's entry, I can see I need to clarify. Major retailers such as Amazon and BN.com do pay royalties to the author. In fact, my company worked with Amazon recently to get them to pay higher royalties to self-published authors than they were paying, and I thank Amazon for supporting the indies by agreeing. BN.com wasn't willing to do so, and I have stopped buying from them. Just a personal choice. They do pay royalties, only a smaller percentage.

New books purchased are different than individual sellers using Amazon the way they do Ebay. When these sellers are charging more than Amazon's price, no, the author is getting nothing from the sale. Most of the books I have sold are signed, because most I have sold myself. I have to guess the extravagant price mentioned below was because someone found a signed copy and they are using that. Again, check the author's website first. I don't charge extra for a signature, and most authors I've seen online don't.

I have learned from this. I won't be signing any more books unless they are directly to the person buying them.

Thinking back to the book signing John Irving was doing in DC, I remember being puzzled when the helpers were asking if we wanted our copies signed personally and how many were saying no. My first thought was wondering why anyone wouldn't want it personally signed, until I woke up. I can imagine all those who didn't likely put them up on Ebay to make a profit. It was sickening.

Back to the original subject, while Amazon sales pay the author a percentage, it is a lower percent than when the sale is through the publishing company's site, and that is usually lower than sales from the author directly. My problem with asking people to buy from my company is that shipping is rather expensive. So for the buyer, it's usually better to go through Amazon. I personally choose to buy them myself and offer them both at less than list price and with cheaper shipping, to make it more fair to the buyer.

Not all authors can do so, as there is an upfront cost that can get pretty steep. I have yet to recover my costs, but that is mainly due to my poor marketing "campaign" and because I gave too many as gifts.

On the other hand, I have learned a lot from the whole thing and hopefully the second time around will work better.

I took yesterday off. After the mix of company cleaning and spring cleaning and staying up late Saturday having a wonderful time chatting with my friend I haven't seen in four years and listening to music she brought from another friend I hadn't yet heard, I allowed myself to crash and ponder and ... generally do next to nothing.

It was nice. And today I feel refreshed and ready to write and plant flowers sitting on my porch and get more work done around the house.

I have decided to return to the idea of taking Sunday off. I always used to try to keep it as a day of rest, in respect to my religion, and have gotten too far away from that. I believe the "rule" was made for our own good, that it is necessary to have one day every seven to stop and renourish. I no longer intend to try for all blue days here. I intend to leave Sundays as they are. I will write on Sundays only if I feel it's what I truly want to do. More likely, I will read or do some artwork or chat with friends. I did, though, read through part of my Nano2004 draft while I was settling in for the night, and decide to get back to it. That's what I plan to work on today.

Part of the "nothing" I did yesterday was to yahoo search my name, as I do from time to time. It was quite an eye-opener to find my book being sold on alibris.com for $41.00! Seriously. I printed it out because it was such a shock. It says it is no longer available, so I guess it actually sold for that??? Wow. Wish I could sell it for that. It's sad, though, that someone was taken advantage of that way when it's available for much less, new and signed, on my site. I wish there was a way to contact the seller and find out just why s/he thought it was okay to do that.

It's rather typical, though. My musician friend is constantly irritated about how many people are making money selling his music when he isn't.

So, this is a bit of a plea. Don't buy new music/books from online sellers charging as much or more than the artist/author is selling it for. Do some research. See if it is available directly, giving the artist his/her due. I don't have issue with buying used copies for next to nothing, since the seller bought them in the first place and is not making a profit. I do have an issue with others profitting more than the artists.

It's strange. Today has been cold and rainy and yet I found more energy than I did the day before when it was gorgeous! Maybe it wasn't calling me outside.

I got more done than I expected, including cleaning off my computer desk, which needed it badly, and it makes me feel more ready to get back to work. My muscles are rather tired but my brain is refreshed. I'm hoping to get some real writing done tomorrow. Thanks for the bits of encouragement to those who left comments for yesterday's entry.

Last month's storm of writing has led to a wave of uninspired forced ramblings. I have done no writing in the last week and I must get back to it. The good thing is that I've been catching up with other things that did really need to be done, such as my taxes and work on the house and my online job. But, I feel ... listless.

I had tons of energy this morning; a rare thing for me, but it didn't take much spring cleaning to wipe that right out. Am I really in that bad a shape? I feel like I got so little done with that energy. I don't especially want to be on my computer, but I don't want to clean house, or garden, or ... much of anything, really.

I have a friend coming tomorrow night, just until the next morning, and I look forward to seeing her, but my house is still a construction zone and it's not the way I wanted to show it off. This friend has never been to my place before, any of my places. I know it doesn't really matter, but it does, anyway.

I can't even seem to find the music I want recently.

Anyway, guess I'll get back to trying delete a virus from our other computer that won't let us use it online. *sigh*


 

I find it interesting that I found two news articles withing five minutes (one on my own and one in a link someone emailed) that are so obviously related but are not connected by the media.

The first one I read was a research study showing that although people tend to choose a live and let live environment over a punishment environment as their first choice, before long, they change their minds. As they watch "freeloaders" in their groups doing nothing and still receiving equal benefits, nearly all of them jumped out of that group and went over to the group where individuals were penalized in some way for doing nothing instead of helping the community. The most interesting thing was that the freeloaders who moved to the other group became among the most avid spokespeople for penalizing those who were freeloading in the "punishment" group. They changed their tunes once they had to start working for their rewards.

The other story is about a school in San Diego that decided to ban the US flag and the Mexican flag and any clothing showing either one. They are banning the US flag in the US???? They say students are using the flags and patriotic clothing to "taunt" other students. A nearby businessman had his US flag taken down two days in a row in front of his store in the US.

This is sickening to me. I don't know how a school thinks it has the right to ban patriotism. I don't know why foreigners feel we shouldn't be allowed to put our country's flag in front of our businesses. (I realize it is NOT all foreigners. I specifically mean the ones doing this action.) If they do not want to see our patriotism, they can return to wherever they come from.

When we lived and travelled overseas, we did NOT wear US patriotic clothing. In fact, the military TOLD us not to, as it is rude to the host country. I agree. It would have been rude. Why is it not rude for citizens of other countries living and working over here to refuse our patriotism in our own country? We do not tell them not to wave their own flags in the US. I see them everywhere, especially on vehicles. I have no problem with it. I do have a problem with being afraid to be patriotic in my own home, however. We can't let that happen.

The school says it is only temporary, while the quarrels about immigration laws are heightening senses. I believe they still have no right. If they find individuals being threatening, deal with those specific threatening acts. And deal with them AS threatening acts and not in any other sense.

Why are the immigration laws heightening senses? For the same reason that people in the "live and let live" group bailed out and went to the "pull your own weight or take the consequences" group.

It's tax season. Those who are paying taxes on everything they make are naturally going to have heightened senses about those who don't, also. Live here, fine. Work here, fine. But do it legally and pay taxes like the Americans who have earned the right to wave their flags. They are the ones keeping this country running. Where would it be otherwise?

Which group?:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12188869/

Banning patriotism:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/8439483/detail.html?rss=dgo&psp=news

Several years ago, while I was working on the first draft of Rehearsal, I had an inspiration for using the theme of a section I was writing for a children's story. I believe I stopped right there and took notes for it and soon developed it into a picture book for my children (they were a fair amount younger at the time!).

The storm one of my novel characters was watching and pondering turned into a happy little story about a raindrop wondering why things seemed harder for him than for others.

I meant it only for my children and for my nieces and nephews, but the adults in my family enjoyed it so much, I began sending queries to publishers of board books. The standard form letters returned: this does not fit what we are doing right now, but please try again ... or, we do not need more picture books at the moment...

So, after researching self-publishing, I started looking at that as an option, just to have it in actual print instead of the copies I made and laminated. Know how hard it is to find a POD company that accepts color? Or if they do, the expense is unbelievable. Then I found Lulu.

I've been working off and on trying to finish formatting it and yesterday, I uploaded it to Lulu. It wasn't all that difficult, though it took time to figure out how to prepare it. I had to change my files a few times. But it's now "out there" and ready to order. Of course, the color print still makes it fairly expensive for such a small book, but I don't intend to make a profit on this. I just want to share it, which is why I made it available as a download, also. If I recover the $35 for the ISBN, that's great, and if not, that's fine, too. I ordered a copy for myself and two for gifts. That makes it worth it to me.

Actually, it's on my website free to read and has been for some time. I don't intend to take it down.
http://www.elucidations.us/Stanley/home.htm

Speaking of falling rain, I found a blog yesterday for a 21 year old having a very rough time in her life, and no blog comments for quite some time. If anyone has a minute, she could use a bit of support and encouragement, as she doesn't seem to have a support base at all.
"I Am But One Small Instrument" 

It's spring in my little part of the world and everything is changing around me; growing, renewing, replenishing. I feel nature's rededication surging within my soul and am ready to join.

In this spirit, I have changed not only my handle, but also my blog title.

Avant-Garde refers technically to the term "advance guard," meaning those specially skilled military troops who move on ahead of the rest to scout unexplored areas. The arts borrowed the term to mean those who were pioneers in new styles of art and literature and new ideas about social issues.

My own mission is to balance my conservative beliefs with my indie spirit to create something new. No shades of gray here, though, only a bright shining silver that reflects any color a viewer chooses to see depending on the viewing angle.

My writing is "unique"? So be it. And there it is.

After all the writing, I'm more interested in catching up on books I've wanted to read.

Still in the middle of "Garp," I started reading "Mozart: A Life" by Soloman tonight, by flashlight, no less, as a storm blew out the power. As you can see, it did return.

Mozart was known as an eternal child: flamboyant, juvenile, one who loved to play games ... the man who was portrayed in "Amadeus." Soloman points out in the introduction that this was largely a myth, perpetuated by his family in writings they did after his death and taken as truth by historians. So the myth thrived. Soloman says the truth is that his father tried to keep him a child for the simple sake of letting Wolfgang's genius for music support his whole family. Very sad the way his reverence for his family, and for his father in particular, was manipulated.

It does, though, show how we can't always believe "history" when historians were no more careful in their research than that. They still aren't. So much of what is written about our current times is as slanted as the story of Mozart, and it will go down as fact to unwitting readers of the future.

As writers, regardless of whatever kind of writers we are, we should be wary of this. We should be well-read on at least two sides of whatever issue we choose to undertake. This is true in fiction, as well as in non-fiction, I believe. Characters with opposing viewpoints create much rounder and truer stories of life in these times, or in past times. Let them debate. Let them remind readers that our main characters have one-sided opinions as do real people, that maybe their views are incorrect in some way.