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Tuesday, May 30, 2017
5 WILD HORSE MYTHS: Alt-Facts Lead to Deadly New Budget for Mustangs
Budget 2018 calls for killing all wild horses and burros in Bureau of Land Management holding pens. That's about 44,000 equines according to BLM and roundups continue. BLM records show more mustangs "gathered" in the first three months of 2017 than were captured in all of 2016. Few voters want wild horses killed, but they’re bombarded by myths which infer there's no choice. Labels: animals, BLM, books, education, government, livestock, mustangs, Nevada, phantom stallion, politics, rodeo, rural, terri farley, West, Wild at Heart, wild horses, writing Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:15 PM 0 comments  
Sunday, July 14, 2013 Writer's Spell Box : Visiting Horse Fair in My Mind  Dear Readers, When I was a little girl, my mother belonged to a recipe-swapping club. It started in a national Methodist magazine, led to many pen-pal-style exchanges and a few lasting friendships. I don't know the name of the pie crust expert who sent my mother a braced-in-cardboard print of THE HORSE FAIR, by Rosa Bonheur for me, because she knew I was "horse crazy." I do know I stared at the painting for hours and hundreds of stories bloomed in my brain.  People ask authors "Where do you get your ideas?" I'm likely to say "everywhere," but looking at this painting now, I realize that lots of horses living in my books now, were present then. Dead-center you see a fiery white horse and a rearing black. Both have the hot-blooded conformation of Arabians, but the black, especially, shows feathers above his hooves. They might well have come from today's Calico Mountains or from "The Challenger." Did they sire the fictional Phantom and his son New Moon? Two sorrels -- one floating in the background, one on the left, darting beside a stalwart gray, remind me of Hoku. In another light, the gray could be the steeldust mare Medusa.  The men in painting try to dominate the horses, but the artist doesn't allow it. I learned recently that young Rosa dressed as a boy for a year to sketch the real life horse fair. Thank you, Rosa! An observer might say half of my work is staring into space. In fact, I'm staring into my child-mind where no editorial guidelines, market thirst or sales figures exist. It's a rich place, a realm of heart and imagination and a good place for writers to visit. Often. See you there, Terri Labels: Rosa Bonheur, the Horse Fair, where do you get your ideas?, writer's spell box, writing Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:31 AM 0 comments
Thursday, February 14, 2013 14 Valentine's Days Dear Readers, Many of you are writers. Like me, you struggle to select words that will bring your characters to life. One of the best descriptions I've heard comes from an unlikely place: President Obama's State of the Union message earlier this week. Such an important speech must've been crafted by several people, so I don't know who gets the credit for this description of a victim of gun violence, a teen named Hadiya Pendleton.
In a few sentences, we know this girl. That's the beauty and the heartbreak of good writing. Best,  Labels: characterization, President Obama, State of the Union, Valentine's Day, writing Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 2:30 AM 0 comments
Friday, November 23, 2012 Mad Characterization Skills  Dear Reader/Writers, What does an editor mean when she says she appreciates complex characters? That she'll see you've given your characters positive & negative traits? That your characters don't all have super-model good looks, a perfect home and faithful friends? Sure, but most of what makes a character complex is invisible. Quick How-To: Title: Genre: Answer these three question -- 1. I probably came up with this idea because… 2. One secret my main character will never tell anyone... 3. Here's how my antagonist's best friend describes him/her... Keep those 3 answers inside your brain. Refuse to make your hero's shame/regret/failure part of the story,, and you'll write in a way that lets your readers will feel he is humble and human beneath his accomplishments. If you know a pal admires your villain's inability to resist old dogs and daisies, the knowledge infuses the words coming from your fingertips and your bad guy won't be a stereotype. Have fun! Terri Labels: characterization how-to, complex characters, creativity, writing Permalink to this blog post Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:27 AM 0 comments
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