Columnists

By now you’ve read by by-line and I hope you’ll read—as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.” I am a senior citizen; probably older than most who will be reading my article, but I promise it will not be ‘old fogy’ stuff. I am not as old as I am, which for your information, is 79. But don’t forget, many places consider 50 years old as being a senior citizen. I never minded that, even when I was 50, because I like reduced rates on meals, golf and a lot of other goodies.

I think I have a background that will keep you interested in what I write, some of which will be fact and some fiction. I was born 25 days before the Great Depression hit. There were six children at home and our dad was gone. Things were tough, to say the least, but other than mom it was a way of life for us youngsters. We didn’t k now any better. Most of all we had each other, great friends in the same boat and real tough love from Mom.

I dropped out of school in the tenth grade, went to wok in the steel mills, then as a gandy dancer for the B&O Railroad. I joined the Marines, where I played football for the station teams at Cherry Point, NC and later at El Toro, CA. I finished high school after discharge and earned an athletic scholarship to Westminster College in PA where I majored in Journalism. I went into newspaper and radio work, then public relations. I earned an M.A. in communications, Rhetoric and Public Address from Wayne State University. I’ve always loved writing and decided to try (like everybody wants to do) writing novels. So far, so good. My first attempt is The Pen Pal Murders

I met my wife, Miriam (aka Becky) in college. She was on a scholarship as a college nurse and majored in Psychology. We had six sons, and we are very proud of all of them. We are also blessed with ten grandchildren.

My second novel, The Sitting Duck, is scheduled for release later this year. If you like gangster-type novels, you’ll like The Sitting Duck. Hey, I have to get in plugs! I am going to enjoy writing for this site; I hope you enjoy what pops up.

James Falk, as a teen-ager, used to dream of being a big-time racketeer. Fortunately, his dream didn't come true. A 10th grade dropout, he finished highschool after four years in the Marines and went on to earn a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Communications.

If someone were to ask me about how to live a successful writing life, I suppose that I would have to say that there is a lot to endure.

There is the apprehension of wondering about whether or not something that you’ve written is good enough.

There are the sleepless nights as you consider plot changes, and the painful evenings when you sort through the angry red pen of the editor.

There is that lonesome moment when you realize that not everyone is interested in what you’re writing about, and the sad reality that John Grisham and James Patterson will probably outsell you for the 700th month in a row.

Yet if you are strong enough to endure – there will be moments – when you feel like the king of the world.

This past week brought one such moment. I was invited to speak at The Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, NY to discuss my book, House of Miracles.

The event wasn’t important to me because I was going to sign and sell books. It didn’t mean anything that people would clap for me and admire the story I put together.

No – the reward was all about three people who are chronicled in the pages of House of Miracles. Anthony, Nicholas and Trina Stinson are a family that had their lives changed by an illness with no cure. (To read more about the Stinson family – buy the book!)

Yet I saw love in the eyes of each family member. I made them proud to be recognized for their life of love. Quite simply, I was beautifully rewarded for being a writer.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

Click here to read a Q&A interview with Cliff Fazzolari about his upcoming event at The Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY.

Ever been asked a question that stopped you dead in your tracks? That hit a nerve and changed your outlook? That challenged assumptions and set you on a new course?

When it comes to communication and transformation, questions are among the most powerful tools we have—but not all are created equal. Take the ones I just asked, for example. Did you pause to answer yes or no? Do you even remember what they were?

Punctuation alone can’t elevate an impotent question to ‘powerful’ status. Simple, direct and open-ended, powerful questions come from a place of integrity and genuine curiosity. They stimulate discussion, encourage reflection, touch on deeper meaning and loose to the surface underlying information that often lies dormant within the recipient.
“So what?” you might ask. “What does that have to do with writing?”

Good question. See the difference? Powerful questions stimulate creative thinking, generate interest and open up vectors to explore. They typically start with ‘how,’ ‘what,’ ‘when,’ ‘who,’ or the writers favorite, ‘what if.’ Writers can use them to drill down into creative problems, flesh out characters, explore new angles and find solutions that might otherwise have eluded us. At its best, powerful questions can raise our awareness, jog us out of limiting habits and patterns, motivate fresh thinking and lead us to the future.

Notice how the following examples are structured to elicit meaningful responses, and that the answers are rarely known until the question is asked. Pay attention to how each question lands; you’ll know which ones are right for you. Create your own. Adapt and apply them to yourself, your writing, your characters, your business, your relationships and anything else in your life you want to grow.

Ruby Rest by Tyler Oaks

I was sitting at my booth at the Sonoma County Book Festival when a woman approached to ask about my book, Ruby Rest. I said it was a mystery and she asked if it really had any murder. She apparently liked the cover, but after reading the subscript, she began to back away while looking me in the eye. She appeared startled and informed me that murder was evil and that she was, in fact, against murder. I told her I was as well, but she was seemingly frightened enough to continue backing away until she had safely escaped my presence. Her last words expressed her fear and I was left sitting there made to feel like a threat to peaceful mankind; a woman with murderous intentions wrapped up in novel form.

The anti-murder woman had the same reaction to Left Coast Crime at my neighboring booth. After reading the words “Aloha Murder,” she was obviously shaken up and I can still remember her wide eyes. Although her actions and admonitions to me that day in Santa Rosa were extreme, there have been a number of times over the past year that I have been treated with contempt for writing a mystery which contains murder in the plotline. In more than one bookstore I have been chastised, as if I had written a book on how to murder innocent human beings and was then sitting there with a smile trying to sell it to unsuspecting future victims. At least the people who really know me are not concerned for their safety. Whenever a stranger eyes me warily and rebukes me for defiling the sanctity of human life I always smile inwardly, if not outwardly, and take care not to make any sudden movements.

Do we really believe writers advocate every action of every character of their creation? This would be preposterous, yet writers are often treated as guilty of the words they have written. Scientists study disease not to become infected by it but to discover cures against it. Writers do not debase themselves by studying human nature but teach mankind about himself through their observations. Though murder itself is corrupting, its use in a plotline may be empowering once we understand the author’s purpose. We must always remember to read with our brains on and not label things good and bad without even grasping what they mean or how they are used. To censor something without understanding its content or intention is to lose our power of thought and give ourselves over to superstition and fear. Not talking about things, the “M” word included, doesn’t make them go away. It only makes us less able to deal with them because our eyes are closed.

Tyler Oaks earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from California State University, Stanislaus and her Master of Arts in Spanish from California State University, Sacramento. Tyler lives in California's Napa Valley with her husband and twin daughters. Tyler is presently at work on her next novel.