Dave

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Amplitude Modulation? What Kind Of Writer Are You?

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Dave Amaditz

I think it’s important as a writer to be able to classify your writing technique. By that, I mean do you outline? Storyboard? Do you have the entire novel, characters, setting, plot worked out in so much detail that you don’t need to outline or storyboard?

I’ve tried outlining and never made it much further than the first few chapters. On the surface, storyboarding looks great, having ideas and/or images for chapters and characters set up on a board in front of you so you can tell what scene a particular character has been in, what chapter and so on and so on. That didn’t work for me either. It seems I spent more time on the storyboard than writing the novel. Plus, more importantly, when I began to write, my characters didn’t always allow me to go in the direction outlined on the storyboard. Hence, all that work for nothing.

Perhaps none of those strategies work for you, either. Perhaps, you’re like me and you know where the story begins and where it ends. The details, like chapter endings, character flaws, settings and personality traits are worked out while writing.

I let my characters guide me. It may sound crazy, but I can’t do it any other way.

A story that follows a straight line from point A to point B is the ultimate goal when I write my novel. When reached, my plot and characters are consistent. They do not waiver from chapter to chapter, from beginning to end. However, my first drafts often resemble the image you may have seen in one of your elementary science classes about AM (amplitude modulation).

Sometimes my main character takes me on surprising journeys. He (no female protagonists as of yet) leads, and I follow, and because of that we end up a little off course, a little above, or maybe even way above the line. It is through those journeys that I learn so much more about him, the little nuances and idiosyncrasies that make the character more real, more believable. There are times he introduces me to another character and we dip below the line. That character may become part of the novel. They may even get temporarily left aside… for use in another novel, maybe?

My job is to make my story tighter, as close to the line as possible, like the image of the flatline below.
That only comes after many revisions, after learning more about how a character thinks and acts and relates to the others within the story. 

The current novel I recently finished has been through many drafts, six or seven or… more. Who’s counting? (Not me anymore.) The first few drafts strayed far above and below the line. I’ve taken it as close to straight as possible, but welcome the chance to get it straighter with another round of revisions with an agent or an editor.

While waiting for that opportunity, I’ve begun a new novel. I know where I want the story to begin. I know where I want it to end. Although I’m trying to stay straight and true, I know I’ll eventually deviate from the line. I know too, that this will help me to learn more about my characters. My only hope is that I can one day narrow down the amount of revisions it takes to write a straight line from point A to point B.

What kind of writer are you? I’d love to hear about your process.

Dave Amaditz May 29, 2013 Leave A Comment Permalink

Create a Character

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Dave Amaditz

In the past, I’ve had some difficulty trying to create my characters, especially my secondary characters. Not their names, or how or where I wanted them to fit into the story, but the specifics of their life, the little details of their personality, the little quirks and nuances that make them real. It would take me a while, but I’d eventually get them, after I’d written many drafts of the story. The process worked, but I was looking for something to make the process a little easier and faster.

A few years ago, at a SCBWI writer’s conference, I attended a workshop on “Creating Characters”. Among other things, the leader handed out a list of questions, which are listed directly below, meant to help someone better learn about the characters they are creating.

Your character just walked in the door. Is it a man, boy, girl, woman?

How old?

What’s he or she look like?

What he or she wearing?

Okay, now give your character a name?

What does he or she like to do? What are his or her passions?

Where is your character? Describe the setting you are seeing?

Someone is very important to your character. Who is it?

He or she has something that is very precious to him or her. What is it?

What is your character smelling?

There is music playing. What kind?

Think of texture of what your character is currently aware. What is it and what does it feel like?

What delights him or her?

He orshe has a secret. What is it?

What makes him or her angry?

What does your character fear most?

What does he or she want more than anything else?

I’m not like some who have a clear vision of their story and characters right from the start, so, if you’re like me, you might find answering the questions requires a lot of work and a lot of thought. If that’s the case, stick with it, because I’m pretty sure you’ll be happy with the results. You might find that by following the process, you have saved time and effort, while at the same time having a richer, deeper story right from the opening page.

If you want to use these questions as an exercise, or you are still having trouble creating a character, try printing out a picture from the internet (a random picture will suffice and will probably work better). Hang the picture above your workstation and use it as a guide, as a starting point for your character (or characters). Use the questions above to fill in the blanks about the stranger. Before you know it, you’ll not only have created a character, but a story to go along with him or her… And if you’re lucky, that story might be the new novel that becomes published.

Dave Amaditz September 28, 2012 Leave A Comment Permalink

SCBWI Grants. Apply. Apply. Apply.

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Dave Amaditz

How many of you have applied, or have ever thought about applying for a grant? Or should I say, how many of you have decided not to apply for a grant because you thought the chances of being selected were so slim it wasn’t worth your time?

I suspect most of you would fall in the latter category. I say that, because I, too, have often had that thought cross my mind. If you’re a regular follower of our blog you may have noticed a post from July 27, 2012 titled,  Winner – SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant For a Contemporary Novel  - Dirty Secrets, YA- Persistence Pays:. If not, follow the link and check it out. http://rt19writers.blogspot.com/2012/07/2012-winner-scbwi-work-in-progress.html

I am the beneficiary of the SCBWI grant, and to say the least, I’m glad I applied.

However, life almost made it so it didn’t happen.

I was busy with rewriting my story, work, family, and other things that make the hours and days pass too quickly. The deadline to apply for the grant was March 15, 2012. In late February or early March, while perusing the SCBWI website, I came across the link announcing the grants available to all members. Should I give it a try, I thought? Not much time left. Would I be able to pull it together… especially something that had a legitimate chance?

After carefully reading all the requirements, I decided it might be worth my while to apply.

The application consisted of three major parts: the writing sample, in which I had to include a synopsis of my work, a biography, and planned use of grant money. I thought I had a pretty good start on things because both my writing sample and synopsis were polished. (At least I’d hoped they were polished, and if they weren’t, this was the chance to see what others outside my writing circle thought.) The second and third parts required a bit of work… only five or six or seven drafts or more compared to the thirty or so I’d put into my writing sample. In the end, I thought, even if I didn’t win, the process would be great preparation for when I finally decided to send to an editor or agent.

To me, the exercise was worthwhile, and not only because I was awarded the grant. Win or lose, it would have given me a chance to see where I stacked among my peers. (Lose; back to the drawing board. Win; bask in a bit of glory.) On top of that, the whole process let me focus on my writing by putting together a professional package worthy of publication.

I highly recommend everyone who is an SCBWI member look into the grants available (there are many at the following link)  http://www.scbwi.org/  For those of you not members, I recommend you look into joining, because the grant process is but one small benefit of being a member.

Better late than never. What could it hurt?

Dave Amaditz August 24, 2012 Leave A Comment Permalink

Revision and Character Growth

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Dave Amaditz

When writing for children and young adults we all know of the rule that says our characters should grow throughout the story, to come to some new realization about themselves, the community and\or the world in which they live. But I’ve been wondering how many of you are like me and have had your characters change from your first revision to your last.

The current novel I’m revising, (see post entitled, When Is the End, the End?) has seen my character change. In the first few chapters of my first draft my main character was an eight-year-old boy. Fortunately, I discovered quickly the story I planned to build around him did not have the necessary details to make the story interesting. After rethinking the vision for my story my main character leapt from an eight-year-old boy to a thirteen-year-old boy. This worked a little better, but it wasn’t quite what I wanted. Would fourteen work? I tried that. I thought he was getting closer to developing into the character that met the needs of my story. So, in my next revision I made him a fifteen-year-old. That seemed to work and that’s when my story really took off. All the parts of my story began to fit together because I made discoveries about my main character along the way that were necessary for my story to develop correctly, things I didn’t know when I began. For example, I know he no longer likes to listen to music since it reminds him of the day he found his father in the basement attempting suicide. I know he doesn’t like to drink alcohol because his father is a drunk, yet any time he’s given the opportunity to have a drink he can’t pass it up. I know how angry he gets when he sees his ex-girlfriend walking arm in arm with his ex-best friend. And I know the little details, too, like the fact that lasagna and meatballs are his favorite food because his grandma makes that for his birthday meal.

I’ve attended breakout sessions at conferences that talk about how to better learn your characters. I still have the handouts I was given with questions designed to help discover your characters wants, needs and likes. Blue eyes or brown? Rock ‘n roll or jazz? Afraid of the dark or not? Some writers don’t need the forms. They have a solid vision of what their characters like and need from the start. But my discoveries about my characters come as I revise. In that sense, the dreaded revision is not so dreaded because I can look forward to finding out new and exciting details about my novel, the characters and how they interact.

Is there anyone out there in the same boat as me?

Dave Amaditz April 27, 2012 1 Comment Permalink

Show Don’t Tell

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Dave Amaditz
The other day I had a chance to meet and talk with a young, aspiring writer. It gave me the opportunity to revisit some of the essential elements of storytelling, one of which is to show versus tell. To help explain the concept I used the opening paragraphs of two Newberry award-winning novels. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan and A Year Down Yonder, by Richard Peck. It amazes me still to see the ease and elegance with which the two of them were able to paint such a vivid picture of what was happening to the characters by showing us the scene.
For the novel Sarah, Plain and Tall, I wrote a short paragraph telling what was happening in the story, which we read together… (Warning! Told version below. I hope you can make it through because the real version follows.)
Sarah Plain and Tall – my told version
Caleb sat in the chair by a warm fire with his dogs, Lottie and Nick. He was a curious boy. He liked to ask questions. He asked them every single day. He asked them hundreds of times. He wanted to know if Mama used to sing. He wanted to know if Papa used to sing, too.
Below are Patricia MacLachlan’s opening paragraphs:
“Did Mama sing every day?” asked Caleb. “Every-single-day?” He sat close to the fire, his chin in his hand. It was dusk, and the dogs lay beside him on the warm hearthstones.
“Every-single-day,” I said for the second time this week. For the twentieth time this month. The hundredth time this year? And the past few years?
“And did Papa sing, too?”
“Yes. Papa sang, too. Don’t get so close, Caleb. You’ll heat up.”
He pushed his chair back. It made a hollow scraping sound on the hearthstones, and the dogs stirred. Lottie, small and black, wagged her tale and lifted her head. Nick slept on.
Instantly, the student’s eyes brightened. “Did you get it? I asked.
She nodded, and I truly thought she did understand, but to bring home the point and the importance of the issue I reversed the process and read with her the opening paragraphs of Richard Peck’s novel:
It was a September morning, hazy with late summer, and now with all the years between. Mother was seeing me off at Dearborn Station in Chicago. We’d come in a taxicab because of my trunk. But Mother would ride back home on the El. There wasn’t much more than a nickel in her purse, and only a sandwich for the train in mine. My ticket had pretty well cleaned us out.
The trunk, a small one, had every stitch of clothes I had and two or three things of Mother’s that fit me. “Try not to grow too fast,” she murmured. “But anyway, skirts are shorter this year.”
Then we couldn’t look at each other. I was fifteen, and I’d been growing like a weed. My shoes from Easter gripped my feet.
A billboard across from the station read:
WASN’T THE DEPRESSION AWFUL?
“What do we know about the characters?” I asked her. “What did Richard Peck show us in this scene without telling us?”
“They are poor,” she said. “The character is a girl. She’s going to miss her mother.”
“And where and when is the story set?” I asked.
“Chicago. After the Great Depression.”
Yes. Yes. Yes. I think she got the concept. No. I’m quite sure she got it.
(So we talked more. About how we learn so much about the characters without being told.
In our first example, we learned that the narrator obviously has a lot of patience. Caleb is obviously a boy with an insatiable curiosity, but also one who was cooperative and willing to listen since he so quickly and easily listened when asked to move away from the fire.
In the second example we learned that the characters do not seem to be bothered at all by the fact that they do not have a lot of money or a lot of worldly goods, but instead seem to be well-adjusted. We learn of the close relationship between mother and daughter.
The scenes were set. The examples are there to learn from.) Now, like all of us, her challenge is to put the concept into practice.
Keep writing everyone. Remember. (Don’t forget the basics.)
Show, don’t tell.
I’ve included a few links below to sites that have some interesting viewpoints on show versus tell. Check them out when you get a chance.

Dave Amaditz March 19, 2012 Leave A Comment Permalink

Resolutions. Goals. Quotas. Are they needed?


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Dave Amaditz

With the new year recently upon us I got to wondering about resolutions and goals and quotas.

Personally, I’m not one to make a New Year’s resolution. It’s my belief that if I feel so strong a resolve to do something, then I should be doing it. Like right now. Immediately. No need to wait for a new year.
Setting goals, or establishing quotas for my writing is one of those things. And so I don’t get depressed or feel like a failure if I don’t meet my goals, like so many feel when they make a New Year’s resolution and don’t live up to the task, I set my goals almost unattainably high.
You might say that’s crazy, that setting so lofty a goal will automatically lead to failure and depression. But to me, it’s a matter of perspective…
Let me show you what I mean.
My goal is to write for four or more hours a day, every day, and to complete at least one polished chapter, somewhere between seven to twelve pages a week. With everything else going on in my life I’m seldom able to consistently meet those goals. This does not mean I do not write daily and produce polished material. In fact, since the middle of December, Christmas holidays and all, I’ve written six semi-polished chapters of the novel I’m rewriting.
I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished, even though I have not quite met my goals. This contentment comes about because when I established my goals I made sure to plant a seed in the back of my mind telling me my goal was more than likely unattainable. Doing this allows me to gracefully accept defeat when I do not reach the quotas I’ve established.
On the other hand, when I’m able to meet or exceed my established goals and quotas, I get a sense of accomplishment unlike any I’ve felt when I’ve established lesser goals or no goals at all.
Crazy? Maybe so. But the system seems to work for me.
If your system isn’t working. Try something else. Change your perspective… Until you find what works for you.
One final note. I believe that if we do not push ourselves, or are not pushed by others to reach beyond what we think we can accomplish, the end result is simple.
We will achieve less than what we are capable of achieving.
I’m not ready to settle for that. Are you?

Dave Amaditz January 20, 2012 12 Comments Permalink

A long-overdue "Thank You" during this Thanksgiving season

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Dave Amaditz                                                                                                                                                                                       

Hey. Maybe I’m going to sound like a sports star giving a “shout out” to the camera, but when it comes to writing, the first person I’d like to thank is my mother. She was my first editor, a fact I was not too thrilled about when I was younger. “Use a stronger verb,” she’d say. “Shorten this. Add more here. Be clearer.” It seemed my work was never done well enough for her.
But I have no doubt my mother’s attention to detail and insistence on my need to re-work projects before I submitted them made me a better student and prepared me for all the rewriting I do today. And by the way, as a parent, I do the same thing with my children… Something they’re not too thrilled about either.
Today, my current writer’s group (everyone at Route 19 Writers) is most responsible for keeping me in the game. Their ongoing support, fine critiques and sage advice are the shot in the arm I need to help me muddle my way through the ups and downs of writing.  Also, I think it’s fair to say I may have gotten thrown off track before I’d gotten too far into the course if it hadn’t been for Pat Easton, and my first writer’s group. Pat and the group, with patience and the right touch of criticism, eased me slowly into the world of children’s writing. Our weekly meetings at Peters Township Public Library helped to build the confidence I needed for success.
I recommend a writing group to everyone, particularly those who are just beginning. If you live in or around the Pittsburgh area, especially southern Pittsburgh, visit the Peters Township Library to see if there is room in one of the writing groups held there. http://www.ptlibrary.org/ Check out your local library to see if there is a writer’s group in your area. Join SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. http://www.scbwi.org/ They have many local chapters you can join and many supportive members who are ready and willing to help.  
If my mother were still with us I can imagine her being very eager to offer critique to my work, but I know in my heart she’d certainly be happy knowing that in my writing groups I’ve found a place to share stories and improve my writing. And that makes me happy, too.

Dave Amaditz November 11, 2011 Leave A Comment Permalink

A Fan Of Good Writing

by Dave Amaditz

I get excited talking about someone who’s on top of their game, someone who’s one of the best at what they do. Any sports fan will understand. Heart pounding, you watch in amazement as your favorite receiver scores the winning points with a fingertip catch in the back of the end zone just as time slips off the clock. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s motivating. On some level, it makes me wish I could be like them.

I get those same awe-inspiring feelings as a writer when I find and read an author who’s perfected their craft and has done it so consistently for such a long period of time. In the world of young adult fiction writer’s there are notable standouts. Katherine Paterson, David Almond, Richard Peck, Robert Cormier, Jerry Spinelli, and Lois Lowry to name a few.  
Recently, Jenny, from Route 19 Writers, recommended an author to me, Kevin Brooks, and after reading nearly all of his books, I’ve placed him on my own list of personal favorites and consider him an awe-inspiring author.
If you like stories that come alive with fantastic characters, intriguing plots, in-depth storylines, a bit of layering and even a touch of crime and thriller, I recommend you read his stories, too.
With 12 published novels, he’s not a newbie, so if you’re having trouble deciding which one of his stories to start with, I’d like to recommend my favorite. Kissing the Rain (2004)
Of all of Kevin’s characters, Moo Nelson, an overweight 15-year-old, speaks to me the most. I was easily drawn to the fact of his being an outsider. I saw the reality in his story. He’s overweight, and he’s bullied because of it. And it’s not just something that happened at the hands of his schoolmates. It’s the police, who attempt to blackmail Moo into testifying about a murder he has witnessed. It’s his parents, who through neglect and denial of their own sad existence, force Moo to live inside his own isolated shell.
Moo lives in a dark world and his character is often confused and disoriented. It’s an unfortunate reality for many, which probably makes the read so realistic. Kevin Brooks writes with consistent characterization. With a steady hand and perfect pacing he guides us through the story. His plots don’t waver and he doesn’t change the character so he can have a happy ending.
Kevin Brooks is one of the rare authors who writes consistently on the top of their game. It’s easy and enjoyable to read his novels. It’s just as important for me to study his style so that instead of simply being a passive fan, I can learn to play in the same arena as he and the other authors I love. Finding a writer like Kevin Brooks makes it easy for me to remain excited about my own writing.
 Other books by Kevin Brooks

Martyn Pig   Chicken House, 2002
Lucas   Chicken House, 2003
Bloodline   Barrington Stoke, 2004
Kissing the Rain   Chicken House, 2004
Candy   Chicken House, 2005
I See You, Baby   (with Catherine Forde)   Barrington Stoke, 2005
Like Father, Like Son   Barrington Stoke, 2006
Private Detective   Barrington Stoke, 2006
The Road of the Dead   Chicken House, 2006
Being   Penguin, 2007
Black Rabbit Summer   Puffin, 2008
Killing God   Puffin, 2009

Prizes and awards
2002   Carnegie Medal   (shortlist)   Martyn Pig
2003   Branford Boase Award   Martyn Pig
2004   North East Book Award   Lucas
2005   Buxtehude Bulle (Germany)   Lucas
2007   Carnegie Medal   (shortlist)   The Road of the Dead
2007   Kingston Youth Book Award   (shortlist)   The Road of the Dead
2008   Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (Germany)   (shortlist)   Kissing the Rain
2009   Carnegie Medal   (shortlist)   Black Rabbit Summer

Dave Amaditz March 9, 2011 1 Comment Permalink

Chaos… Or not?


The other day my son was helping me with some paperwork that I store in my workstation. “It’s pure chaos here,” he said. “Bulldoze it. You don’t need this stuff anyway. You’ll never use it.”

“Organized chaos,” I tried to explain.
When he just shook his head and smiled, I knew he wasn’t buying it.
With that said, I figured I’d ask for a few unbiased opinions. Chaos or not?
Max and his shoephone.
First though, I need to explain that the word “chaos” doesn’t necessarily conjure up a whole world of negativity for me. It reminds me of the 1960s zany television show “Get Smart” where the evildoers in the underworld organization “CHAOS”, (supposedly Russia’s Secret Service, the KGB) were bent on destroying all of our freedoms. I spent many evenings laughing at the show’s crazy antics and far out plots. The characters were great, too. I’ll never forget Max, the clumsy and bumbling special agent known as Agent 86 and the top-secret telephone he hid in his shoe. He had a real nose for disaster, finding trouble where there was none, creating havoc out of calm, sidestepping every major issue before the real one smacked him in the face. Yet, when all was said and done, Max tied up all the loose ends so that everyone was safe to live another day.
The second piece of information you might need to know to make a decision as to why I store all my papers in such a confined space is that I get around in a wheelchair since a 1983 diving accident, and although I’m 6’2″ tall, my reach doesn’t extend very far.
So, okay. Now I’ll get back to the point. My workstation. Is it pure chaos or not?
Look closely at the picture. Did someone just call me Agent 86? It isn’t that bad… is it? Or have you been talking to my son? Let me explain what’s in my workspace and what I do with it before you pass final judgment.
Pictures. Tons of them. All there to remind me of how lucky I am to have so many caring people in my life. I keep them close to me so that when I think times are tough, perhaps when I can’t figure out where my story is going, I realize I’m not so unlucky after all. Without the special people in my life, none of the writing I do would be worth it.
My one line synopsis… While exploring a pitch black coal mine,
fifteen year old Matthew Kowalski discovers a deeper darkness,
the secrets and lies that have ripped apart his family.
Mixed in with those images is the premise and a one line synopsis of my story, written neatly in large letters as a reminder of where I need to go with my story. It serves as my focus, my straightaway through the twisting turns of my novel.
The huge stack of papers to the right is a copy of the latest draft (number eight) of the current novel I’m revising. I want to be able to access all the correction notes scribbled within… well, most of the time anyway.
Having a printer nearby might seem an obvious necessity, but I don’t use it as often as I used to (for printing out the papers anyhow). I bring my laptop computer, or my new handy-dandy IPad when I go to my critique groups. Believe it or not, this process allows for a lot less clutter around my workstation. Of course, the printer still has a useful purpose. (Take a closer look at the right-hand corner of the photo.) It’s wide, flat top of allows me to store a few older, shorter stories I’ve written and notes from many of the conferences I’ve attended throughout the years. And when the stack gets too high, as it is now, I simply shove them beside the printer. (Or, as seen here in another picture, shoved into the cupboard with the rest of my rough drafts… I guess I still don’t completely trust technology to save all of my work.)
My rough drafts… and a few extra supplies.
My telephones are nearby, too. I can’t ignore or avoid answering all the calls when I’m working. I do hate getting interrupted in the middle of a thought though? Don’t you?
The staples I need (see list below) are somewhere on the desk. Can you find them?
Where’s Waldo?…  uh…. er…. Where Are Dave Supplies?
Books, pens, staples, paper clips, writing paper, ink, staple remover, index cards, address labels, backup CDs with copies of all my work, The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Junior and EB White, The Elements of Editing, a Modern Guide for Editors and Journalists by Arthur Plotnick
Dictating madly away.
Last but not least, especially for me, is the headset you see me wearing. No. It’s not for listening to music. I can’t concentrate too well that way. It’s for the voice activation software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, (see link to website below) that I use. Without that, I’d be lost. It’s taken me from an extremely rotten two-fingered typist (using specially adapted splints given to me when I was first injured… still seen here on my workstation desk), to someone who can get the words onto paper almost as fast as they come into my head. I’ll give a more detailed explanation of the benefits of the voice activation software some other entry.
Have you reached your verdict yet? Am I more like Agent 86, the bumbling, stumbling star of the show “Get Smart”? Is my area pure chaos as my son seems to think? Or do I pass the test of someone who is somewhat organized? Like Max, have I managed to tie the loose ends neatly together? You decide. And let me know.

Dave Amaditz January 12, 2011 3 Comments Permalink

Feed the Hungry: Harry Chapin

It’s not widely known that Harry Chapin spent much of his time before he died helping to fight hunger around the world. As a matter of fact, Harry donated the proceeds from many of his concerts to help feed the hungry.
My signed program and T-Shirt. Notice it is
signed “To Pitts” for me because I am from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
While stationed in England during my time in the Air Force, I was fortunate enough to have attended one such performance. It was a fantastic concert. Easily, by far, the most memorable I’ve ever attended. Yes. That’s right. Thirty years and I still talk about how fun it was to hear him perform. Believe it or not, I still have a shirt (never worn) and a program he signed for me tucked neatly away with some other memorabilia. Harry seemed to have me, along with the rest of the crowd, mesmerized. With one song, he’d whip us into of frenzy. Right on cue, we’d dance, clap, or sing along with Harry and the band. With the next, he’d press a finger to his lips… just like that, we were lulled us into complete silence while he sang a tale of sorrow.
Harry let the words of his songs do the talking. He sang simple tales like; W0LD about a down on his luck DJ; 30,000 Pounds of Bananas about an 18 wheel truck driver; and She is Only Seventeen, a metaphor about youth being the future of our country. In other songs, he tackled controversial issues; Woman Child about a teenage girl who made the difficult decision to abort her child; Love is Just Another Word about inequities and prejudices in our world; and Cats in the Cradle about a father who chose drugs over spending time with his son.
A great album with an eclectic mix of
Harry’s tunes.
As a writer and avid reader, it was easy for me to decide what made his songs so appealing to me?  Simply put, his songs tell a story… music not necessarily needed… although recommended. He used words to paint a scene. He brought the characters in his songs to life. He made the places he sang about become real. He drew us into the story so that we became a part of the issue about which he wrote and sang.
This month, as those of us at route19writers blog about giving and receiving, check out the lyrics below from my favorite Harry Chapin song. I think you’ll agree The Shortest Story, although short on words, is nothing but powerful on message. It’s a perfect example of showing what is happening versus telling what is happening. 

As you read it… or listen to it… take away whatever message you wish. Appreciate how a few simple words, when strung together properly, can make a magical story. Or come away like me, inspired by Harry’s words, to give to those less fortunate than us.

The Shortest Story
I am born today, the sun burns its promise in my eyes;
Mama strikes me and I draw a breath and cry.
Above me a cloud softly tumbles through the sky;
I am glad to be alive.

It is my seventh day, I taste the hunger and I cry;
my brother and sister cling to Mama’s side.
She squeezes her breast, but it has nothing to provide;
someone weeps, I fall asleep.

It is twenty days today, Mama does not hold me anymore;
I open my mouth but I am too weak to cry.
Above me a bird slowly crawls across the sky;
why is there nothing now to do but die?

For more information about Harry Chapin, his life, his lyrics, and his fight to end hunger, visit the following links:

Dave Amaditz December 10, 2010 1 Comment Permalink

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