School: Five Things

School is back in session which brings back fond memories for me.
School has changed a lot since I was a student. I thought it would be fun to list five things that I remember about elementary school--five things that probably no longer occur in school.

#1: Milk breaks. I remember forming a line in the hall beside a big machine that held milk. We were given paper cups and one by one, the young students pulled the cold silver handle until foamy milk was dispensed. I always hated the last few sips and can almost remember the smell.

#2 Gym uniforms. Remember when all the girls had to wear matching, one-piece gym uniforms? Ours were navy shorts with an attached navy and white striped top. The jumpers had zippers down the front. I don't remember where we changed our clothes, but I can see Mrs. Gray timing us as we held onto monkey bars or leading the class in jumping jacks.

#3 Paddled by the Principal. This never happened to me (I was usually a teacher's pet and was very shy--imagine that!) but I remember when boys would get into trouble and had to go to the Principal's office for a paddling. Imagine the lawsuits if that happened today.

#4 Wearing Dresses. The first six years I went to school, girls were not allowed to wear pants or shorts. I still remember wearing a light blue sweater, blue and purple plaid skirt and matching light blue windowpane hose. I was a little diva even in the sixth grade.

#5 Playing four-square. That was my favorite game during recess. It's played with a large rubber ball (the size of a basketball) and four squares drawn on the sidewalk with chalk. We had to pass the ball back and forth, keeping it going, until it went outside the lines. I can't remember how we kept score, though.

How about you? Do you remember these same five things--or can you think of others? Please share your long-ago memories.

Favorite Mascots & Logos

Today, I'm writing about marketing and branding. As writers--like it or not--we have to market ourselves and our work. I'll start with logos and mascots.

I love the little green geicho that has the Australian (or is it British?) accent. He's the mascot for Geicho Insurance and is very memorable and likeable. My favorite mascot was the Taco Bell dog. Sadly, I think he passed away a year or two ago. Didn't you love those commercials and his accent? Didn't everyone? I bet Taco Bell's profits went through the roof after they started using that cute dog.

The duck for Aflack is cute but I find the voice slightly annoying, however, they've done a good job of branding. That Billy guy (may he rest in peace) did tons of infomercials. I couldn't mute the remote fast enough when he was on because his voice grated on me but I'm sure he sold lots of cheese slicers, otherwise, they wouldn't keep using him. Of course, there's the Sham Wow guy, yet another unforgettable character.

Switching gears from living mascots, which corporate logos do you like? How about the red bullseye for Target? Target has done an amazing job of branding by using the color red, certain music or even dancers. Within a few seconds, my husband and I can always tell when it's going to be a commercial for Target.

I like designer Tommy Hilfiger's use of red, white and blue stripes (probably because I'm patriotic) and really liked the logo that used two bare feet on shirts back in the seventies. Anyone remember what company that was? Was it Bare Feet?! The Nike curved swoosh is a simple but classy logo. Can you think of other simple, effective logos?

What about some tired ones? I'm rather tired of the polo playing horse rider for Polo. I think it's in need of a revamp as is the alligator.

Think about book covers. Chick lit and women's fiction often have pink covers, whereas paranormals use a lot of black, white and red. What other themes have you noticed?

What are your favorite logos or mascots? Have you thought about branding your blog, web site or book if you're given the option by a publisher?

Character Traits

Now that we've chosen a unique profession for our characters, let's choose some interesting traits and personality types. Choose two, three or four distinct traits (good or bad!) for each character and use them consistently in your novel or short story. Then, you'll ensure that your characters are all very different, likeable (or the love to hate type) thereby captivating the reader.

Here are several mannerisms that come to mind: boastful, shy, silly, conceited, confident, possessive, jealous, intelligent, belligerent, charming, nosy, tattle-tale, hateful, racist, flirty, sexy, loud, fun-loving, persuasive, generous, stingy, selfish, sweet, generous, sensitive, pretentious, talkative, quiet, sarcastic, funny, neat, sloppy, punctual, habitually late, brooding, hopeful, hopeless, positive, negative, pessimistic, optimistic, power hungry, timid, and the list goes on.

Which of these personality types have you used for characters? Which combinations would be the most fun? Freel free to add more.

Wacky Characters

What are the wackiest, most unique characters you've ever written about? An exotic dancer? A lion tamer? We all enjoy reading about unusual characters so I've come up with a list of several unique professions.

Wouldn't it be fun to create one of these as a main character? Here goes: Sex therapist, undertaker, prostitute, circus worker, Amish or Mennonite, nun, wiccan, palm reader, inmate, stripper, pimp, billionnaire, homeless person, inventor, gypsy, cowboy, escort, celebrity, inventor, and a bank robber.

Which of these would you dare tackle? Have you already written about characters in these professions? Can you think of other unique professions? Please share.

Got An Itch?

You've heard me mention the poetry contest by children's author and poet David L. Harrison at www.davidlharrison.com. Each month he chooses one word and poets must incorporate that word into a poem or haiku.

For July, he chose the word "itch." Below is my non-rhyming, free verse poem. Enjoy.

I SENSE SOMETHING
By Beth Carter

I’m sitting very still,
trying to ignore it.

Telling myself to
pretend it’s not there.

After all…
I can’t see it.
I can’t smell it.
I can’t taste it.
I can’t hear it.

But without a doubt
I can feel it.

That undeniable,
irrepressible,
unforgettable,
ITCH.


I encourage you to read David's blog for some hilarious itchy poems--and enter one of your own.

Celebrating Dad

Father's Day is upon us so let's come up with (you guessed it) some six-word memoirs to celebrate our dads! Here are a few I've written:

Loved to dance on daddy's shoes.
Taught me how to ride bike.
Dad put string on tooth, doorknob.
Dad gave me my first ballglove.
Painted my first bike sparkly green.
Pulled on sled by Dad. "Again!"
Dad beautifully painted my wrecked cars.
Dad didn't like my boyfriend's van.
"You're not wearing that, young lady!"
Honest, hard-working, fun, loyal, wonderful father.
Proud of my sweet, handsome Dad.

Please share some of your own.

Update On Ohio Conference

I just returned from Lori Foster's Annual Reader & Author Get-Together in Ohio. I'd say 350-400 people attended. I met writers from several states--Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Florida, Maine, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and even Vancouver, Canada!

The conference is unique in that both writers and readers attend, plus agents and editors who are looking for the next new voice. Unique gift baskets were raffled off, book signings were held, agents took pitches, editors held a Q&A, and there was even a pirate-themed party.

At the conference, I asked everyone what they wrote. Here are the most popular genres: Erotica. YA. Erotica. Historical Romance. Erotica. Contemporary Romance. Erotica. Women's Fiction. Erotica. Cozy Mysteries. Erotica. Notice a common thread, here? Wow. If you write or read erotica, you must go to this conference. Even if you're like me and do not write erotica you will meet great writers and welcoming authors. It was also interesting to hear what the readers actually enjoy reading. Lori Foster has a great idea here in pairing the two.

I was lucky enough to pitch to both Jennifer Schober with Spencerhill Associates and Laura Bradford with Bradford Literary since there were a couple of cancellations. And...drum roll, please...both asked to see the first 30 pages!!! Yippee. I hope they fall in love with my manuscript and fight to the bitter end over who gets to represent me. You writers know what I'm talking about.

So...immediately, if not sooner, I must reengineer my query (yet again) and synopsis (yet again) and get them sent off to Jennifer and Laura. Oh, and I'll have to revamp those 30 pages, I'm sure. This time I won't tweak for a year, though. I'm giving myself 48 hours.

Finally, here's a shout out to the Marriott Cincinnati North which had the most accommodating, courteous staff I've ever encountered--and the food was great.

Hope to see you in Ohio next year.