Valentine's Day For The Non-Romantic

You may have guessed this, but I'm not a romantic.

I grew up on a farm, and while others have always said it's the thought that counts, I'm much more impressed by physical labor and an eye for practicality. It's February in Ohio, and if a guy gave me a wood cord for Valentine's Day, I'd be impressed.

It's true that there might be a tinge of bitterness involved in my Valentine's Day thoughts. I wasn't an attractive pre-teen and don't remember getting anything for Valentine's Day until my junior year - by a guy who dumped me shortly thereafter, my first heartbreak.

As I often answer people who ask me why there's a distinct aversion to the happily-ever-after in my novels, it's because I'm divorced. I'll add that my ex's birthday is very close to Valentine's Day.

And - time for the zinger - my annual pap smear (to which we've recently added a mammogram) always lands around February 14, bringing an added layer of meaning to V-Day.

So yeah, not a fan.

But - I'm not against it either. I get love. I'm in love, for heaven's sake. I just happen to have fallen for a guy just like me, a guy who might bump his Corona against mine at dinner and say, "Oh yeah by the way, happy Valentine's Day." But he'll probably do it on Wednesday or Thursday because he often doesn't know what day of the week it is.

All that being said, I know there are romantics in the world and I don't deny them this day to celebrate. As a former Hallmark employee (long story) I actually get my back up a bit when Valentine's Day is referred to as a Hallmark Holiday. Valentine's Day has ancient historical roots, ones I won't bother linking off to here because I'm sure you'll find them everywhere tomorrow.

However, if you want to mark your calendars for my favorite made-up holiday, flip forward to October and make a note. October 14th is National Feral Cat Day.

On that day, I encourage you to find one, and hug it.

Wednesday WOLF - Baker's Dozen

I'm such a big nerd that I tend to look up word origins in my spare time because I'm fascinated by our language. The odder the origin, the better. I've got a collection of random information in my brain that makes me an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner, but is completely useless when it comes to real world application. Like say, job applications.

I thought I'd share some of this random crap with you in the form of an acronym-ific series. I give you - Word Origins from Left Field - that's right, the WOLF. Er... ignore the fact that the "from" doesn't fit.

So many of the things we say make no sense. Take for example the term baker's dozen - which, if you don't know, actually means 13 of something, not 12.

Why?

Bakers were subject to pretty strict laws in medieval times, and sold their wares often not by the number but by the weight. In the year 1266 Henry III passed a law that established a correlation from the price of what to the price of bread. Bakers who short weighted their bread (by putting less actual wheat in it) could be fined, pilloried, or even flogged.

To avoid even the whiff of being guilt of such a thing, bakers would add an extra loaf to their dozen, nicely ensuring that the scale would save their skins.

Macye Lavinder Maher On Finding Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask writers where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers. In that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.

Today's guest for the WHAT is Macye Lavinder Maher, author of Fireworks & Fertility. Macye divides her time between writing fiction and managing Live Water Properties, a brokerage firm specialized in hunting, ranching, fly fishing, and conservation properties in the Rocky Mountain West and Pacific Northwest. A member of the board of the Jackson Hole Writer’s Conference, she holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the McIntere School of Commerce at the University of Virginia where she also earned a minor in Environmental Science.  She lives in Jackson, WY with her husband and three children.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book? 

believe a lot of well-written works of fiction are conceived as an essay or short story. Mine was birthed at the Dave Matthews Band Concert in Chicago…eons ago. Good vibes, good birth.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

I wanted this scene at the concert to be the beginning of Fireworks and Fertility, but it was moved to the middle on the rewrite/edit. Apparently major action is needed to engage readers!

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

My mind transfers the thoughts pretty efficiently to the page. I make sure to eat well beforehand, so that indecision is in another building.

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

Fresh material is everywhere from the guy carrying the ladder to fix something in your office to the latest story on what it takes to get pregnant when you are in your thirties. The world is quirky. That’s the best fodder for a story idea.

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

If I have more than one idea or inspiration, I make little notes that I cut into triangles that then form a pile or pyramid of triangles on my desk. I never forget about those lovely triangles. 

2016 was not an easy year. Do you draw any inspiration from the world around you, or do you use writing as pure escapism?

Struggles and triumphs are long processes; they’re journeys. Losing my 98-year-old Grandfather, Roy C. Kinsey, Jr., was traumatic for me. I wanted him to live forever. He left a lasting star—the famous neon star on Mill Mountain in my hometown (Roanoke, VA). He shines brightly and reminds me that you have to do it for you. He created that star. So many people told him it was foolish, it wasn’t worth it, and he and his brothers conquered it anyway. I feel like there is this amazing connection between the souls on this side and the ones on the other. The proof for me is in that gigantic star so I dedicated the book to Roy C. Kinsey Jr. and my family, who also appreciates five points on a Blue Ridge Mountain.