Interview and book give-away with Anthony F. Rando

Anthony F. Rando is one of my closest friends, as well as the co-author of The Enchanted Locket, a young adult paranormal novel. The son of Italian immigrants, Anthony has a vivid collection of memories from his life experiences. He holds several degrees in the technology field and lives in Staten Island, New York.

Jennifer: Thanks for stopping by! How long have you been writing poetry?

Anthony: Thanks for having me! When I was young, I found myself writing poetry as a way to express my feelings to my family and friends.  I never pursued my writing until when my life changed dramatically on May 22, 2009. While working for a telecommunication company for eleven years, I was involved in a hit and run accident during a weekend getaway; the accident resulted in major injuries. On leave from work I decided to publish my first poetry book: A Book of Poems: The Inner Soul in May 2010.  Following that I published my second book, After the Storm: Poetry That Refreshes the Soul. Who knew a accident could change the course of my life! 

Jennifer: Tell us about your blog.

Anthony: I started my blog in March, 2010 just before A Book of Poems was published. Blogging for me is the best way to connect with my readers and post updates.  My blog focus is writing and collaboration – filtering information and providing context for those interested in my poetry.  For the most part, my blog has fallen into two categories: poetry and fiction. I've been posting some of my new poems.

Jennifer: What inspired you to write After the Storm?

Anthony: Inspiration comes from the joy of past relationships, a tragic event I experienced, and most often the emotions I felt the day I wrote each poem. Whether it’s love, remorse, or healing, I tried to capture an event in my life and hope anyone reading them will benefit depending on where they are in their own journey in life.

Jennifer: Do you have a favorite book or author?

Anthony: My favorite book is Theory of Minds: New and Selected Poems from author Bin Ramke. One of the best poetry books that I find myself reading over and over. 

Jennifer: You are involved with Bluebell Books Short Story Slam writing challenge. How do you feel about it so far? What are the benefits of it?

I absolutely love Bluebell Books Short Story Slam writing challenge blog, as it helps writers share their stories with other bloggers and readers.  I've enjoyed networking with people who share my love of writing.

Jennifer: What are you currently working on?

Anthony: Well, other than editing our Enchanted Locket novel, I wrote The Captain, a 50,000 mafia novel, during November's National Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It was a huge struggle to finish it in 30 days, but I am very pleased with how it turned out and am currently editing it in hopes of sending it to a professional editor before publishing it as an E-book.

Jennifer: I wish you the best with finishing both The Captain, and our paranormal novel.

Anthony: Thank you. I am off to work on both manuscripts now.

Okay, now for the give away: Anthony is giving away one copy of After the Storm: Poetry That Refreshes the Soul. To qualify, leave a comment here with contact information (such as email), and we will draw a name (from a basket) as the winner on Friday! 

Check out Anthony's website and blog for more information, and to read a few of his beautiful poems here.

Enduring to the end....

Writing 50,000 words in thirty days was a test of endurance for me, to see if I could write almost all the time. Even when I was tired, or had terrible neck and back pain.

I realized something about myself from NaNoWriMo: whenever life's challenges get in my way of accomplishing one of my goals, I find creative ways to get through them. When it seemed like I wrote every scene that I thought of but my word count was only a little over 20,000 words, I wondered how the heck I could ever add another 30,000 words in two weeks.

So, I read through the novel and knew there were many details to add to each scene, it seemed more like a short story than a novel. So, instead of panicking and giving up, I thought of things to add that could cause both my protagonist and antagonist obstacles. These thoughts were added into the novel, some as scenes to add in later, and some scenes were written as fast as they entered my head.

The Time Control: Deception novel now involves kidnapping, a twist on the typical teenage romance, and an advanced method to remove brain damage and tumors that result from using the time machine.

Do you find writing to be a test of endurance? Or do you write no matter what happens in your life?

I'm a NaNo Winner!

I'm so happy to have my certificate after a hectic month of writing a very rough draft of the time travel novel that has been in my head for 2 1/2 years now. But I'm far from finished writing this draft now that my characters are so fully developed.

Did you participate in NaNo this year?

Write Great Dialogue: Part Two

I was out of town this Friday and did not have the chance to post this on Friday. My father-in-law passed away and I traveled to Pittsburgh, PA for his funeral.

Last Monday I wrote the first half of how to write great dialogue. Today we'll talk about the importance of conflict or tension in fiction, something I'm still learning how to do.

Great dialogue leaves the dull parts of conversation out, so that the protagonist is dealing with the change, threat, or challenges. Imagine reading this conversation:

 "How is that new toaster working for you?" Babs asked.
"Oh, it's marvelous," Mary said. "I'm really glad I got this one. It's at Target, on sale."
"Really? I may just have to get one for myself."
"Do. You'll love it. You'll absolutely love it."
Babs took a sip of her coffee. "Mm, this is good. What blend?"
"French Roast."
"I adore French Roast."
"Me too."

In reading this, you would think neither one has a care in the world, and wouldn't believe that Mary's husband is in the hospital.

This conversation seems more realistic:

"How is that new toaster working for you?" Babs asked.
"Hm?"
"The toaster. How's it working?"
"It toasts."
"Yes?"
"Yes. It toasts."
"I didn't mean to-"
"What do you think it does?"
Babs took a sip of her coffee. They sat in silence for a long moment.

This shows a distracted Mary not paying attention when Babs asks about a toaster. Their conversation takes an awkward turn which leaves them in silence.

Writing dialogue like this is taking me a long time to learn. What are your tips for writing dialogue?

*This post was taken from the book, "Revision & Self-Editing" by James Scott Bell.