tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42373432825127788572024-03-13T19:24:12.316-07:00Coffee with DavidAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-8295405768834109632012-10-09T18:01:00.000-07:002012-10-09T18:01:33.769-07:00The Winner of Immortally Yours by Angie Fox<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpKmCHYOxGUebNw3nKA1AWqXJgd_nQuFG_X70Sie5j99eH51TmaxHj_JMPS5b4RhVO7It4FirxugCcpS02lHBBUvxP3R2yMbhRK5SVXsY8K2zw9OjJ0vxgsWhCmrlTsd5632Cwpaq7YrK/s1600/Immortally+Yours.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpKmCHYOxGUebNw3nKA1AWqXJgd_nQuFG_X70Sie5j99eH51TmaxHj_JMPS5b4RhVO7It4FirxugCcpS02lHBBUvxP3R2yMbhRK5SVXsY8K2zw9OjJ0vxgsWhCmrlTsd5632Cwpaq7YrK/s320/Immortally+Yours.JPG" width="194" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">The winner of
the autographed copy of <u>Immortally Yours</u> is Leigh Savage. Congratulations!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">Thank you for
reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>. You can also follow me
on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens. Fiction is
the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the
human condition as he chooses.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-26877137331177816502012-09-11T17:58:00.000-07:002012-09-11T17:58:19.118-07:00The Undefined Element of a Fight Scene<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Over the course of this series of blogs, I have gone into
the mechanics of fighting and how to try to capture those on the written page
(novel, screenplay, short story, and so forth) .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have written about the psychology and
general strategy of the trained and untrained fighter. We have discussed the
general places to strike and how the weaker opponent can easily defeat the
stronger opponent. But, before we can step further, there is one element that
we need to explore--an undefined element of passion.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I use the word passion with a great deal of trepidation.
Most people might imagine passion to be emotion. It's emotion, but only a
portion of it in the context with which I use it here. The word passion is used
here to define the determination and the core from which your character (or you
yourself in real life) drive yourself to win the conflict. If you have watched
and read enough fight scenes you have seen the well written scenes and the ones
that have struck you falsely. Not because the fighter or fighters did something
that was improbable (or simply impossible). It was because the fight scene
seemed arbitrary--derived solely because some formula said there had to be an
act of conflict at that spot. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The good fight scenes are organically grown from your protagonist
need to confront the antagonist. Ask yourself:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why is the protagonist fighting? A fight is dangerous<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or even deadly. </li>
<li>Why don't they just run away? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>What does the protagonist risk if he fails loses?</li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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The really good fight scenes are not only organically grown
from the protagonist, but the antagonist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your antagonist doesn't think he is the
antagonist. He thinks he is the hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Treat him as such. Ask yourself:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why is the antagonist fighting? A fight is dangerous<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or even deadly. </li>
<li>Why don't they just run away? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>What does the antagonist risk if he fails loses?</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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The outstanding and memorable fight scenes take this organic
growth even further, by asking the following questions:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>What does the character gain if they lose the fight?</li>
<li>What do they lose if they win?</li>
<li>What do they win if they lose?</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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You may have just blinked reading these last questions, so
let us explore them by using a few examples. While I don't know what you read
or watch, I will use a few examples:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>In Star Wars--the Original trilogy--Luke Skywalker fights
Darth Vader, his father twice. In the first fight, he risks losing his life.
Vader only cuts his hand off and rips off his innocence by declaring Luke was
his son. In the second fight, Luke is determined to win his father back to side
of light. He first risks losing his life. What does he win? He does bring his
father back, but at the same time he loses his father. </li>
<li>In Star Wars--the prequel trilogy <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(made after the original series)--Obi-Wan Kenobi
fights Anakin Skywalker, his pupil and self-proclaimed brother. He has to stop
Anakin and try to get him to come back to the light. Obi-Wan risks losing his
life and possible failure as well as losing his friends to the dark side.
Obi-Wan wins the fight. He does lose his friend and leaves him for dead (or
dying really). Anakin loses all he loved for a mechanical suit and the dark
side.</li>
<li>In Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Dr. Horrible, in this tongue-in-cheek
reverse tale of where the villain is the hero, goes to fight his arch-nemesis
Captain Hammer. Dr. Horrible risks losing his opportunity to join the Evil
League of Evil that he dreams to join and his life--for failure is clearly to
be met with his own death. The opposite of this is what he will gain if he
wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he does lose when he wins is
the love of his life, Penny, as she dies in his arms and perhaps his own desire
to be what he has become--for in the end, after all the celebration, he is
alone and looks lost to himself.</li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are a lot of other examples I could have chosen from. Instead,
I ask if any of my readers would take a moment, think about the questions
above, and write in the comments about a story that you can diagram as the
above.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-5758566971125690612012-09-01T08:30:00.001-07:002012-09-01T08:32:43.144-07:00Having Coffee with Angie Fox, NY Times Best Selling Author.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: white;">This month, I am having coffee
with Angie Fox. I fell in love with Angie's series of the Accidental Demon
Slayer with its humor and adventure. Now she has come out with the first book
in a new series, and for some reason my mind keeps replaying two songs in my
head as I think about it: the theme song to M*A*S*H and Monster Mash. You will
quickly understand why.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpKmCHYOxGUebNw3nKA1AWqXJgd_nQuFG_X70Sie5j99eH51TmaxHj_JMPS5b4RhVO7It4FirxugCcpS02lHBBUvxP3R2yMbhRK5SVXsY8K2zw9OjJ0vxgsWhCmrlTsd5632Cwpaq7YrK/s1600/Immortally+Yours.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpKmCHYOxGUebNw3nKA1AWqXJgd_nQuFG_X70Sie5j99eH51TmaxHj_JMPS5b4RhVO7It4FirxugCcpS02lHBBUvxP3R2yMbhRK5SVXsY8K2zw9OjJ0vxgsWhCmrlTsd5632Cwpaq7YrK/s320/Immortally+Yours.JPG" width="194" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Book Blurb:</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">No one patches up the incoming wounded like Dr. Petra Robichaud. Recruited by
the gods for her uncanny medical skills, she’s the best M*A*S*H surgeon in the
army. Along with a nosy guard sphinx, vegetarian werewolf, and other paranormal
paramedics, she bandages soldiers who are built like Greek gods (literally).
But when one sexy immortal ends up on her operating table—half dead and totally
to-die-for—Petra’s
afraid she’ll lose her patient <i>and</i> her heart… </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">Commander Galen of Delphi is one gorgeous
but stubborn demi-god. When his spirit tries to slip out of his fatally wounded
body, Dr. Petra has to slip it back in—unwittingly revealing her ability to see
ghosts. Now that Galen knows her secret, he’s convinced she’s part of an
ancient prophecy. If the oracles are right, Petra could lead Galen’s army to peace. And
if he seduces her on the way to hell and back? Heaven knows—<i>all’s fair in
love and war…</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">After the interview are pictures from the book launch of <u>Immortally Yours</u>.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">David Alan Lucas: When you are starting to work on a new
novel, what do you find brings the story into focus for you? A Character? A
setting? Something else? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Angie Fox: </b>I start with a kernel of an idea that amuses me. For example, the
Accidental Demon Slayer series began with a series of what-if’s. What if
a straight laced preschool teacher suddenly learns she’s a demon slayer? And
what if she has to learn about her powers on the run from a fifth level demon? Oh,
and wouldn’t it be fun if she’s running with her long-lost Grandma’s gang of
geriatric biker witches?</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">I started writing and let the storyline
evolve based on the characters and that central issue of what happens when a
reluctant heroine is thrust into a series of extraordinary situations. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">I began the Monster MASH series by
wondering about all the things that could happen in a paranormal MASH unit. In
most paranormal books, characters heal themselves and that’s it. But what if my
world required paranormal doctors, nurses and medics to serve during a
paranormal war?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">What if my protagonist is drafted
into the middle of this conflict? What if I gave her a vegetarian werewolf
roommate? Add in a vampire with an almost obsessive need for peace and privacy
(which you are just not going to get in a tent with two other people). What if
I give them a commander who is an old Spartan?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">I let the storyline evolve based on
the interactions between characters and the impact of war on the soldiers, as
well as the MASH staff.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What attracted you to Paranormal Fiction? Have you
always written Paranormal?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>I’ve always loved paranormals. In fact, I
remember discovering them back in college. In my sophomore year, there were six
of us, living in this tiny place. One night, my roommates started talking about
Interview with the Vampire. They were shocked I’d never heard of it and, like
the enablers they were, they managed to put together Ann Rice’s entire vampire
series, which they stacked next to my bed the next day. I picked up the first
book and wow. I was always a good student, but I skipped class for the next
week and read the series straight through. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">Ironically, when I decided to
actually try and write a book of my own, I completely ignored my love of
paranormals. Because, you know, that makes sense. I decided to write
mystery/suspense with lots of science and research involved. I’d outline, I’d
write pages and pages of character notes, I’d force myself to do those little
note cards. And I hate note cards. In retrospect, I was fighting my voice. When
I was about ready to go insane, I’d sneak off and read Jim Butcher, Anne Rice
or Kerrelyn Sparks, just to catch a break.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">It took three unpublished books for
it to click and for me to realize that hmm…maybe I should write the kind of
books I love to read. I had this spark of an idea about a preschool teacher who
is forced to run off with a gang of geriatric biker witches and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Accidental Demon Slayer</i> was born.
Instead of a 20-page plot outline, I had a 5-page list of ideas, one of which
included “but little did they know, all the Shoney’s are run by werewolves.”
Instead of following the rules, I broke a few. Instead of painstakingly writing
over the course of a year, I grinned my way through the book and had a complete
manuscript in five months. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">The opening chapters did well in
contests and caught the eye of Leah Hultenschmidt, who asked to see the whole
thing. Leah bought the book less than a week after I finished it. And I didn’t
write one single note card. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What key things make your stories work?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnEfgFWgHaeYK0gqR1phpLyXw20Cvapsk5YAx3M30E3xfREpFC7fOovw1-jCpM1aq8ZnseCv-1BOEjvdtIqpC1O-LRXVOffBAXwAbijGztzZnMGVs2JU71jkdWEkyWsaklNkQ2ywum3Jo/s1600/Angie+Fox+dining+rm+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCnEfgFWgHaeYK0gqR1phpLyXw20Cvapsk5YAx3M30E3xfREpFC7fOovw1-jCpM1aq8ZnseCv-1BOEjvdtIqpC1O-LRXVOffBAXwAbijGztzZnMGVs2JU71jkdWEkyWsaklNkQ2ywum3Jo/s320/Angie+Fox+dining+rm+shot.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>Like with any
story, I think you have to make sure characters are both dynamic, and
down-to-Earth. They have to be doing things, learning things, exploring issues that
are exciting and new and make us want to turn the pages. Yet, we need to be
able to relate on a fundamental level to their very real struggles. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">One of the challenges – and the
great joys – of writing Immortally Yours was balancing the humor with the stark
tragedy of war. The darker emotional context makes the light moments even
funnier, and works to lend entire tone of the book a nice texture and more
depth.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">Petra
and her colleagues at the MASH 3063<sup>rd</sup> have been drafted until the
end of the war, which is bad for Petra
but even worse for people like her vampire roommate, Marius. They’re living in
this quirky, ad-hock camp, trying to make the best of it while they work long
hours in the OR, putting soldiers back together – knowing that they’re probably
going to see these injured heroes again and again – if they’re lucky. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">The underlying tragedy brings the
oddball personalities in the camp together. They develop ways to keep their
sanity and to create the kind of relationships that offer a port in the storm. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What themes in your fiction writing seem to drive you
the most? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>I tend to write
about characters who struggle against the system, and the powers who
tell them who they “should” be. In the Monster MASH series, I also tackle
everything that drives me crazy about mindless government, bureaucracy and the
seemingly insurmountable forces that seek to control our daily lives. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">It’s about people who stand up,
despite the odds, and take that control back. Plus, Immortally Yours was simply
a fun book to write. It was a great challenge to construct a new world that is
starker than ours, yet holds many of the same challenges.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: Do you work on multiple novels at once? If so, how
many? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ha! No. I wish I could work on more than one
project at once. Alas, I can’t even write on a novel and a book proposal at the
same time. My brain has tunnel vision that way. I think it has a lot to do with
the fact that I’m always subconsciously working on story ideas, and I need to
focus that energy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: How easy was it to take the leap of faith to become a
serious writer and chase this career? What did you find that you had to do to
take the step? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>It was extremely
hard and it took me many years to do it. It takes a lot of faith to stay home
and work on a chapter while everyone else is out enjoying a pretty day or going
to the movies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">As far as what I had to do to take
the next step: I had to decide to do it. I even asked for my husband’s buy-in,
because I knew if I got serious about my writing and actually stuck with a
writing schedule, it would take time away from him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">Then – and this was hugely
important for me (as well as a struggle) - I had to let go of the idea that
everyone was going to cheerlead me and tell me how great it was that I was writing
a book. The truth is, most people will not understand it at all. And here’s a
secret that you may not want to know: even if you hit the New York Times list,
people will still not understand why you do what you do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">The people who are closest to you
will tend to be the ones who care the least about your writing. That’s just the
nature of relationships. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just what is. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">But here’s the key: you can’t
write hoping to gain the approval of other people. On the other hand, you can’t
always write for the pure joy of it because sometimes, it’s really hard to sit
down in front of that computer. Writing is something you do because it fulfills
you on an entirely different level. And when it does work – wow – it’s like
nothing else in the world. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: When you plot your novels, from whose point of view do
you plot from? The protagonist’s? The antagonist’s? The narrator’s? Some one
else? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF:</b> I do it from my
point of view – what I’d like to see happen to these characters. If I
let my protagonists plot their own novels, they’d take the easy way out. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What novels, books, articles, magazines or other media
most useful when you are researching your novels? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>It depends on the
novel. For the Accidental Demon Slayer series, the best research I ever did was
to ride around with Harley bikers. It made my biker witches so much more
realistic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">For Immortally Yours, I spent a
lot of time learning about how MASH camps operate. I also called up my nurse
and doctor friends and asked them questions like: if I was going to make a
banshee do X, Y and Z, by how much would I need to increase normal lung
capacity? And what does that mean physically? How would they look different?
Sound different? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">And then I watched Patton to get a
feel for my camp commander (and because I like Patton). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;">Research really does vary from
book to book. There’s no one “right” way to do it. It’s all about what inspires
you and enables you to write a better book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What is your writing schedule like?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>I write in the
mornings for about four hours. The afternoon is spent on research or on emails,
reader correspondence and interviews like this one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: If you could have coffee (or drink of your choice) with
four other authors from any time period, who would you choose and why? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I’d like to have a beer with Edgar Allen Poe (because I’ve
read everything he’s written and definitely owe that man a drink), Jeff Shaara
(you know he’d have amazing stories), Charlaine Harris (she has such a great
sense of humor) and Malcom Gladwell (so I could debate his theories with him –
plus, I’m betting he’s even more fascinating in person).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: Many authors focus on social media and other creative
marketing strategies. How do you promote your books?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>I’m all about creative marketing. It’s fun and my brain just
thinks that way. For the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I developed the What’s
Your Biker Witch Name quiz? It went viral, which has been a blast. You haven’t
lived until you get emails from physicists in China telling you that their biker
witch names are things like Wino Wally No Brakes and Two Date Tessa Hard Rider.
And now for a shameless plug: you can get your biker witch name at: <a href="http://www.angiefox.com/">www.angiefox.com</a>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">For Immortally Yours, I’m doing a
quirky little viral program that is cracking me up right now because it is
getting slightly out of control (which in my world, means things are going well).
I’m offering readers an interactive experience that centers around the news
network that is covering the war. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: -.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;">In this new series, PNN is the
paranormal version of CNN. So I’m basically setting up the “official” PNN
website to be like The Onion, only paranormal. It allows me to have a blast,
while giving readers a taste of the series and immersing them in the world of
PNN. Plus, it’s an entertaining way to poke fun at the love/hate relationship I
have with 24-hour cable news. Check it out at <a href="http://www.pnn-network.com/">www.PNN-Network.com</a></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: How could my readers learn more about you? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AF: </b>Just visit <a href="http://www.angiefox.com/">www.angiefox.com</a>.
I’m running a contest right now where you could win naming rights to a character
in my next Monster MASH book. It’s up on my blog.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">Thank you Angie Fox!</span><br />
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<span style="color: white;">How do you win a free copy of this book? <b>To enter
the contest, simply leave a comment or question on the Writers' Lens blog
between now (September 1, 2012) and midnight September 30, 2012.</b> Please
include your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you leave,
the greater your chance of winning the contest.<i> If you refer others to The
Writer's Lens </i>who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter your name
again in our random number generator along with theirs, also increasing your
chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on Sunday, September
30 and the announcement made on Monday, October 1. Good luck and comment often.
</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-45448590293175512372012-09-01T07:57:00.001-07:002012-09-01T07:57:10.050-07:00The winner of Zero Time<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_832FOBSVewsLyyrBtH50ZCG6eSHtsldF1BM3HTzOzjoA_e12T2jDFlCCDZdMbzh6AArGE6CogW9KcAAtWWgNxxyZJxzpIQJDliERIsxcX-tejUCppJ5MfKGsj0BcT-h-65n1howQ093M/s1600/Zero+Time+sm-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_832FOBSVewsLyyrBtH50ZCG6eSHtsldF1BM3HTzOzjoA_e12T2jDFlCCDZdMbzh6AArGE6CogW9KcAAtWWgNxxyZJxzpIQJDliERIsxcX-tejUCppJ5MfKGsj0BcT-h-65n1howQ093M/s320/Zero+Time+sm-1.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The winner of August's book giveaway , <u>Zero Time</u> by
T. W. Fendley, is Arlee Bird. Congratulations! Please send me an email to
David@DavidAlanLucas.com with information on where to mail your book.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-58194650712987661412012-08-12T13:10:00.001-07:002012-08-12T13:10:58.949-07:00Writing the Fight Scene: Butterfly Wing Techniques<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how can a woman (or anyone) take out a “superior”
opponent? Actually, its simplicity is quite amazing. Fortunately or
unfortunately most people have no knowledge of it. I am going to go through
every single target from head to toe and how to do it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have given this list of strikes the name of
"Butterfly Wing Techniques" in honor of a Japanese saying: "A
butterfly could knock down a man if it only knew where to place its
wings."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When under attack there are three things you must remember.
These three things are the core philosophies of the butterfly wing techniques.
They are:</div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If the opponent can’t see, he can’t fight;</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If he can’t breathe, he can’t fight;</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If he can’t walk, he can’t fight.</b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Sidebar: Some people are very proficient at blind fighting.
But they have learned to “see” with other senses. They also make up the vast
minority of trained fighters. Furthermore, if they were using their eyesight
and suddenly became blind, it takes them a moment (sometimes the length of a
breath) to switch over to their other senses.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leaving out personal things in this blog, especially
regarding this topic is difficult—not to mention that my previous entry of “A
Writer with a Learning Disability in Written Expression” uncorked the personal
“genie bottle.” So, it is from this personal side that I ask you to understand
something: everything comes with a price. What I am about to share with you,
the general public, is very personal and with trembling fingers I write.
Growing up I was underweight. I was often the “weaker opponent.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This knowledge I have shared above and will below once
scared the hell out of me as a kid and I often let people beat me up. Why would
I do that? The first move I learned at age 10, after basic kicks and punches,
was a kill move. It involved collapsing both of the opponent’s ceratoid
arteries. The bullies’ reasons for fighting were never worth sending them to
the hospital or the morgue for. That statement is not bravado. It is the truth.
When I was younger, I discovered that when I fight outside of the ring, there
is a switch that either turns on a “fighting computer” in my head or shuts off
my emotions. To this day, I am still not sure which it is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back then, I didn’t believe that I had the control over my
own strength and this “fighting computer” necessary to keep it from becoming as
dangerous as it could be in a school setting. I was only a middle belt. I
wouldn’t be a Black Belt for a few more decades. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The school setting wasn’t my only arena where this would
come up. Outside of that, where it was necessary, I did not hold back. What I
learned kept me and other people alive for years. Even though what I did was
right, necessary, and so forth, it still haunts me today. NO, I WILL NOT SHARE
WHAT HAPPENED! I will only share this: Once, because of that fear I mentioned
above and carrying it into the world outside of school, I failed to protect
someone I cared about. I swore on her grave that I would never fail again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It led me on a personal journey of coming to terms with what
I could do, what I was capable of, and with myself. In the process I learned
from other styles, philosophies, and I learned peace. I don’t know why I am
still alive, but it has given me the chance to redefine my humanity. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without any more ado, here are the targets and how to strike
them unarmed from head to toe. (Note these are unarmed targets. There are more
targets with certain weapons. The weapon also determines the striking method) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One warning, you will see I will repeat the descriptions of
the strikes. After the list of targets will be a glossary that explains the
strikes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Targets</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrTmwQixywHpem4xDvLFyDIIcHpjtuyYGPKi2443cS9b38kmF7Eb5ZoDRpqWM7miSVZ1v1l8enPXczewwxxHplyRjH1OdXztJRSA1RcaeYggzyNN5sK8WvPJjGtZ4e-FjUfR1mWTGCmH6/s1600/Temple.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrTmwQixywHpem4xDvLFyDIIcHpjtuyYGPKi2443cS9b38kmF7Eb5ZoDRpqWM7miSVZ1v1l8enPXczewwxxHplyRjH1OdXztJRSA1RcaeYggzyNN5sK8WvPJjGtZ4e-FjUfR1mWTGCmH6/s1600/Temple.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Temple</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>A blow here can cause unconsciousness, brain damage, and/or
death. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge hand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Palm hands</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Crane beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hammer fist </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">A dagger elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing elbow.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Eagle beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">The toe of your boot</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">The heel of your boot</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Crescent kick (If you
don't mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street
fight is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce
Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>The
temple is not an easy target to hit. It is usually stuck only in very
close<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hand to hand combat (think
wrestling, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, or similar grabbling arts)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or if the person is already on the ground.
There are exceptions, but the reason they are exceptions is the fact that they
are rare.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KG_GhHCF8vY9AkFrjc33Exegz15x97OyK3_A6_gg4UdQu0pxW4ol7vqb1XMndNRXPdjReHYbm08upEgxobe8neaMBx8e1ApL2uGpTYU1mNmg-GsKQ4Fq3zzU6tYY9q9O2YZKWlN-5RVD/s1600/Human+eye.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KG_GhHCF8vY9AkFrjc33Exegz15x97OyK3_A6_gg4UdQu0pxW4ol7vqb1XMndNRXPdjReHYbm08upEgxobe8neaMBx8e1ApL2uGpTYU1mNmg-GsKQ4Fq3zzU6tYY9q9O2YZKWlN-5RVD/s1600/Human+eye.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Eyes</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Striking this target can cause temporary or permanent
blindness or other damage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Palm hands</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Hammer fist</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Dagger elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Eagle beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">The toe of your boot</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Tiger claw (Raking)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Dart </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Crane beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Finger pincer</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Gouge</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3;">Racking punch</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> Despite
the danger, the eyes are a perfect target. Remember if the opponent can't see,
he can't fight. Very few people can fight without their sight and the number of
people who are trained to do so are a statistical blip on the radar. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the possibility of blindness, it is important to
remember that the eye is not so easy to actually damage as one might
think.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a strike or an accident
(say they fall and hit a table corner the right way) can lead to something
permanent, the eye is actually quite resilient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many untrained fighters think that the eye is almost as soft as a
marshmallow or a hardboiled egg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of that
comparison, it is closer to the hardboiled egg, but one that has been really
overcooked to be too hard to eat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOCz_DrsTaj6C7xNOY2hdoXGV9bXNK4EMabRkS0BzEiWw9sj2Sa_irJHsvtZVxgLS_3-NxjLG79yDoL5Kkt21RGTJhUhkiFDPQSLu2kRl4w09kh5SGXoQe6cg9w0VrfyOOPIOnK34EO37/s1600/Human+Nose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOCz_DrsTaj6C7xNOY2hdoXGV9bXNK4EMabRkS0BzEiWw9sj2Sa_irJHsvtZVxgLS_3-NxjLG79yDoL5Kkt21RGTJhUhkiFDPQSLu2kRl4w09kh5SGXoQe6cg9w0VrfyOOPIOnK34EO37/s1600/Human+Nose.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Nose</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary or permanent breathing problems, temporary
loss of consciousness, or death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge hand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Palm hands</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hammer fist </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Eagle beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Toe of your boot. If the
opponent is on the ground (kicking to the head otherwise is pointless in a
street fight, regardless what Hollywood movies show.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Heal of your boot. If the
opponent is on the ground (kicking to the head otherwise is pointless in a
street fight, regardless what Hollywood movies show.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Racking punch</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Reverse Punch</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Fist</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Back fist</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Knee (If the person is
bent over).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, if an opponent can't breathe, they
can't fight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The nose is a great (mostly) non-lethal target to strike.
Pressure under the nose, lifting up while you hold the back of their head, will
cause enough pain to make anyone go from a sitting position to stand on their
tiptoes--useful in bar situations where someone has taken your barstool to talk
to someone you were talking to a moment ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A straight strike to the nose will cause the person to stop
doing whatever they were doing and retract their hands to protect it--and their
eyes to water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus you have caused them
to have temporary (or permanent) breathing problems, but also they are having
trouble seeing--two birds with one stone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Striking the bridge of the nose can cause breakage and even
the person to temporarily lose consciousness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A palm strike that strikes upward can cause the nose
cartilage to break or be shoved into the brain. This last part is fatal. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri_O1UKKjDtjtadwWejo22ysIvfeA7vqdrYVE83jsYeStMcqAuRJosWPI-mPQ5xhxXUrwbsOzfeKrO3Bm18AUNo05fihc9JqVNMMxqTs_45rw0yKADhDGXxlWw-eDTT1Uu0WmozajQt-I/s1600/Mouth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri_O1UKKjDtjtadwWejo22ysIvfeA7vqdrYVE83jsYeStMcqAuRJosWPI-mPQ5xhxXUrwbsOzfeKrO3Bm18AUNo05fihc9JqVNMMxqTs_45rw0yKADhDGXxlWw-eDTT1Uu0WmozajQt-I/s1600/Mouth.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Upper Lip</u></i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cut your hand, cause the opponent to loose teeth,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and is difficult to hit in and of itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge Hand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Palm Hands</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hammer Fist </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Heal of your boot</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Crane Beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Knee (if the person is
bent over)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally one doesn't aim for this target, but
if you strike to the mouth you are likely to hit it. The upper lip contains
nerves that are close to the skin's surface which will radiated a great deal of
pain and if the strike is delivered hard enough, they could lose consciousness
temporarily as their nerves send a "short circuit" of pain to the
brain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri_O1UKKjDtjtadwWejo22ysIvfeA7vqdrYVE83jsYeStMcqAuRJosWPI-mPQ5xhxXUrwbsOzfeKrO3Bm18AUNo05fihc9JqVNMMxqTs_45rw0yKADhDGXxlWw-eDTT1Uu0WmozajQt-I/s1600/Mouth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri_O1UKKjDtjtadwWejo22ysIvfeA7vqdrYVE83jsYeStMcqAuRJosWPI-mPQ5xhxXUrwbsOzfeKrO3Bm18AUNo05fihc9JqVNMMxqTs_45rw0yKADhDGXxlWw-eDTT1Uu0WmozajQt-I/s1600/Mouth.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mouth</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cut your hand as well as cause the opponent to loose
teeth. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge Hand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Palm Hands</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hammer Fist </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Heal of your boot</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Crane Beak</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Knee (if the person is
bent over)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since there are a lot of veins and arteries in
the teeth there will be a lot of blood, which will frighten the opponent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri_O1UKKjDtjtadwWejo22ysIvfeA7vqdrYVE83jsYeStMcqAuRJosWPI-mPQ5xhxXUrwbsOzfeKrO3Bm18AUNo05fihc9JqVNMMxqTs_45rw0yKADhDGXxlWw-eDTT1Uu0WmozajQt-I/s1600/Mouth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri_O1UKKjDtjtadwWejo22ysIvfeA7vqdrYVE83jsYeStMcqAuRJosWPI-mPQ5xhxXUrwbsOzfeKrO3Bm18AUNo05fihc9JqVNMMxqTs_45rw0yKADhDGXxlWw-eDTT1Uu0WmozajQt-I/s1600/Mouth.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Chin</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>If you use a fist, can break your fingers/knuckles. So don’t
use a fist (unless it is a hammer fist)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Palm Hands</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hammer Fist </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Heal of your boot (if the
opponent is on the ground)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Crescent Kick (If you
don't mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street
fight is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce
Lee.) </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chin should only be struck with the palm
of your hand as you can break your fingers on the enemy’s chin. Use the palm of
your hand and strike the enemy with a very strong upward blow. This will cause
extreme discomfort. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDu9Jd35tLkXiYhRVn8-WDCLDIA5smsHv_39lm8f9qA_2wpvgMlvCdSjoOY64jxZtqlXhkbXPGDqrp4BCjba1eQt3RxtheoHHSWpFje1ecVTq_De8XTWSwDMI-sF_BgUCgk7yx89XXRI8/s1600/Adams+Apple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDu9Jd35tLkXiYhRVn8-WDCLDIA5smsHv_39lm8f9qA_2wpvgMlvCdSjoOY64jxZtqlXhkbXPGDqrp4BCjba1eQt3RxtheoHHSWpFje1ecVTq_De8XTWSwDMI-sF_BgUCgk7yx89XXRI8/s1600/Adams+Apple.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Adam's Apple</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary to permanent breathing problems or death. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge Hand. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hammer Fist </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing Elbow. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Toe of your boot. If the
opponent is on the ground (kicking to the head otherwise is pointless in a
street fight, regardless what Hollywood movies show.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Heal of your boot (If the
opponent is on the ground) </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Knee (If the person is
bent over)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Web Hand </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Panther Fist</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comment: </b>If the
opponent can't breathe, then they can't fight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhQWOALZeldUWnt3bmAzyJseO9TBbClSeEQLXaMbWBqbAy9XTCHxoAWx3fEjlmhCStuzIIfxxWf8sE8I1_OqQ6DSt6Tg7wkA2yJ5u5r9NX8_C9n5C34z0ikA-eNxg6H_iPAJt2jsvtcJZ/s1600/Carotid+Artery.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhQWOALZeldUWnt3bmAzyJseO9TBbClSeEQLXaMbWBqbAy9XTCHxoAWx3fEjlmhCStuzIIfxxWf8sE8I1_OqQ6DSt6Tg7wkA2yJ5u5r9NX8_C9n5C34z0ikA-eNxg6H_iPAJt2jsvtcJZ/s320/Carotid+Artery.png" width="222" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Carotid Artery</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
the target:</b> This can cause unconsciousness or death. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to Strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop (if well placed)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge Hand. (if well
placed)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger Elbow (if well
placed)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Eagle Beak (if well
placed) </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Kick (If well placed
and you don't mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a
street fight is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from
Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel Kick (If well placed
and you don't mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a
street fight is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce
Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (if well placed
and you don't mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a
street fight is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from
Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dart</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Crane Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Spear-Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Panther Fist</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>This
is collapsing the main arteries to the brain. Any questions?</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdNuFjCBiS3j99TLoOpchyMJdznPLGUM4KyJ_QbJOGavyOd4qJPLjn0nfsyTvC3jCYRXBlZ0tkLSK-a8ucpqnCDz_J_ew-CpxGv0b7RbG4Hl65gkD3OaVs8bb4DhOE-NIpnNUe7jI4iDf/s1600/Esophagus.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdNuFjCBiS3j99TLoOpchyMJdznPLGUM4KyJ_QbJOGavyOd4qJPLjn0nfsyTvC3jCYRXBlZ0tkLSK-a8ucpqnCDz_J_ew-CpxGv0b7RbG4Hl65gkD3OaVs8bb4DhOE-NIpnNUe7jI4iDf/s1600/Esophagus.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Esophagus</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary to permanent breathing problems or death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Chop </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Ridge Hand </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Dagger Elbow </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Smashing Elbow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Eagle Beak </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Web Hand</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Panther Fist</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Side Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Wheel Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;">Hook Kick (If you don't
mind exposing vital targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight
is as intelligent as a punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> - Striking
this target, which is located (right below the Adam's Apple) can be very
painful or collapse it. Think of playing with a garden hose when you kink it.
But, unlike the garden hose, it doesn't return to normal without medical help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you kink it, it will block the oxygen flow
to the opponent's lungs and they will die quickly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnedIhN6FBtQHxGfvuA0xAjUfgfjwGSTL0QToVc0a5aOKPuZQb7801AJp97Tw0SCMDnkyPMX1akgf6EyQgSJXRllBPhmUllJ7t6BrcyrKLl31CvdMw7_rRi1nru42Y5WrIhXnDoN33WybD/s1600/Neck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnedIhN6FBtQHxGfvuA0xAjUfgfjwGSTL0QToVc0a5aOKPuZQb7801AJp97Tw0SCMDnkyPMX1akgf6EyQgSJXRllBPhmUllJ7t6BrcyrKLl31CvdMw7_rRi1nru42Y5WrIhXnDoN33WybD/s1600/Neck.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Neck</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause whiplash, paralysis or death. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Ridge Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Smashing Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Butterfly Palms</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>Hollywood
would like to make you think that it is super easy to break a neck. It is not
as easy as they like to make it. There are techniques to do it, but this is
post is not going into that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqpzP9dSTG0MBdLKuky1QsknSmJR0jlamMPRsChCJwRqa9AMxFCNm0un-jcP2ARC5ix2ujoaC-f_mG1L4szmYB9rucQ7GgGKzUYS4xC455ewXygJ1sgrUslFBEN-b2QzGby9Rg5QH8Tgb/s1600/Collar+Bone.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqpzP9dSTG0MBdLKuky1QsknSmJR0jlamMPRsChCJwRqa9AMxFCNm0un-jcP2ARC5ix2ujoaC-f_mG1L4szmYB9rucQ7GgGKzUYS4xC455ewXygJ1sgrUslFBEN-b2QzGby9Rg5QH8Tgb/s1600/Collar+Bone.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Collar Bone</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain or broken bone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Gouge</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">A</span></span>xe Kick (If you don't mind exposing vital
targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight is as intelligent as a
punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Tiger Claw</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> The
collarbone is a great place to strike if your goal is to cause non-lethal pain.
A sharp blow will release excruciating pain and possibly break the
bone-depending on the strike you use and how hard you hit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsaSLvNsyBM004gtFA_sdiX5OPGR9Fenyt8wBfuB4inaoqHWsBwkITp5of-B_H-YQ8IktdhabWUhB53vmnl5rARGmtAdsCMEQCfJNPqOe66S1nRUx_gc632AnC8QCKsmWzIAysAQg0ZLA/s1600/Shoulder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsaSLvNsyBM004gtFA_sdiX5OPGR9Fenyt8wBfuB4inaoqHWsBwkITp5of-B_H-YQ8IktdhabWUhB53vmnl5rARGmtAdsCMEQCfJNPqOe66S1nRUx_gc632AnC8QCKsmWzIAysAQg0ZLA/s1600/Shoulder.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Shoulder</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain or broken bone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Axe Kick (If you don't mind exposing vital
targets, because a kick to the head in a street fight is as intelligent as a
punch to the foot--Paraphrased from Bruce Lee.)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dagger Elbow (if delivered from above)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Heel of your boot (If you are holding the arm
and the opponent is on the ground. Just stomp and you pull.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>If you
have ever dislocated a joint or known anyone who has, you know the pain. It is
easy to grab and dislocate it or to break it (depending on your strike of
choice).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you hear a popping sound,
you dislocated it. If hear a snapping sound, you have broken it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGc087-0NhxmziwkjJBx5h4rWmg9jNvLCkXFrJZrJnqTvU_T9ogcQfxtbHT7tEOrc2GAWkkxNGcincEpm06sdGCpIM4v24s8j7K86O4veYC-9OnkmysJoFygCoPoYcbyWPnK5j7EXv-ku/s1600/Arm+pit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGc087-0NhxmziwkjJBx5h4rWmg9jNvLCkXFrJZrJnqTvU_T9ogcQfxtbHT7tEOrc2GAWkkxNGcincEpm06sdGCpIM4v24s8j7K86O4veYC-9OnkmysJoFygCoPoYcbyWPnK5j7EXv-ku/s1600/Arm+pit.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Arm Pit</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">R</span></span>idge Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dart Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Toe of your boot (If you are holding the arm and
the opponent is on the ground.)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">H</span></span>eel of your boot (If you are holding the arm
and the opponent is on the ground.)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> This is
one of the more difficult areas to hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I call it a target of opportunity. If you get the opportunity, go for
it. But don't count on the opportunity to occur. So why hit it? There is a large
network of nerves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbLDPeoQqDhjdqI3nK4XprhBIRPh732EzyMCC-x8yFdMh1TBmhE9GGpAVwFAceOQ722t2X9KpqgVsnN-EUWtDwhOXcvSMHLuT9vRj_gzHjEbEHpHE7jIf87DBWMXBUQvnDDwX_VvqR9Rz/s1600/Ribs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbLDPeoQqDhjdqI3nK4XprhBIRPh732EzyMCC-x8yFdMh1TBmhE9GGpAVwFAceOQ722t2X9KpqgVsnN-EUWtDwhOXcvSMHLuT9vRj_gzHjEbEHpHE7jIf87DBWMXBUQvnDDwX_VvqR9Rz/s1600/Ribs.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Rib Cage</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain, temporary breathing problems and/or
broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Butterfly Palms</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Eagle Beak (Raking)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Smashing Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick (if the opponent is sideways to you)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hook Kick (if the opponent is sideways to you)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Side Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Reverse Punch</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Back Fist--if you are striking in an arc</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> - Depending
on how you strike, you can cause pain, loss of breath, tearing of the
diaphragm, or break the ribs. Remember, if the opponent can't breathe, he can't
fight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZS00kQB1dct_8ZNxYKE-9v3PZS19Vh3sG2SwNcBIOEZfayCTGCus2cJ5b5fFM6S_Q2eGIDSQnPEhJ4M0URhZFbJXZNQzNoWaLH1XsCJEGsofSu_g3vBVVGuJBB0GnjPAvYQrYrrbV0X-/s1600/xiphoid+process.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZS00kQB1dct_8ZNxYKE-9v3PZS19Vh3sG2SwNcBIOEZfayCTGCus2cJ5b5fFM6S_Q2eGIDSQnPEhJ4M0URhZFbJXZNQzNoWaLH1XsCJEGsofSu_g3vBVVGuJBB0GnjPAvYQrYrrbV0X-/s320/xiphoid+process.png" width="182" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target: </b>Xiphoid
Process</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain, temporary breathing problems,
breakage, and (if broken in a certain way) case this bone to go inside the main
rib cage and cut organs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hook Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Reverse Punch</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>Unless
you really are aiming for it and have developed your--marksmanship, for lack of
a better word, this is a hard target to hit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbLDPeoQqDhjdqI3nK4XprhBIRPh732EzyMCC-x8yFdMh1TBmhE9GGpAVwFAceOQ722t2X9KpqgVsnN-EUWtDwhOXcvSMHLuT9vRj_gzHjEbEHpHE7jIf87DBWMXBUQvnDDwX_VvqR9Rz/s1600/Ribs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbLDPeoQqDhjdqI3nK4XprhBIRPh732EzyMCC-x8yFdMh1TBmhE9GGpAVwFAceOQ722t2X9KpqgVsnN-EUWtDwhOXcvSMHLuT9vRj_gzHjEbEHpHE7jIf87DBWMXBUQvnDDwX_VvqR9Rz/s1600/Ribs.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Floating Ribs</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain, temporary breathing problems and/or
broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hook Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Reverse Punch</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Toe of your boot (if the opponent is on the
ground)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Heel of your boot (if the opponent is on the
ground)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>Striking
here will cause pain and can stun the opponent--also make them lose their
breath. Remember, if the opponent can't breathe, he can't fight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxnnn9rEl7yhp2Pl7o4MsqTRdVlxr0Hta8x-29TmReRHsWHpxkaJp0KQ6gQ4c97tWg1_oWvYK3990Ua7A0FDe44zyI-Phtk3PB0nHu-gnfvgnT3okqSIOm8L2Fa4QQcrqbc19NmiSiayx/s1600/Solar+Plexus.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxnnn9rEl7yhp2Pl7o4MsqTRdVlxr0Hta8x-29TmReRHsWHpxkaJp0KQ6gQ4c97tWg1_oWvYK3990Ua7A0FDe44zyI-Phtk3PB0nHu-gnfvgnT3okqSIOm8L2Fa4QQcrqbc19NmiSiayx/s1600/Solar+Plexus.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Solar Plexus</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary pain and temporary breathing problems.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Spear-Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hook Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Rear Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Reverse Punch</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Panther Paw</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Ridge Hand</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b>
Remember, if the opponent can't breathe, he can't fight. A blow here can make
them lose their breath and cause a lot of pain as there are a large amount of
nerves located here. Also the pain, if delivered with enough force, could cause
unconsciousness (this is rare) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsFx-6iRKrlDKh8uaKVrFD8rjecWfVE2juKhdhYW4e5UzJKlhOG_AeBZaNe62pHpR4VHoVen3ARodL8rHGLvkTxx2PrK82nNmpXSedswkZkcgOvA9ZQ8LHB8TKV7zb_KiMWGuZkQLbmWG/s1600/Spine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsFx-6iRKrlDKh8uaKVrFD8rjecWfVE2juKhdhYW4e5UzJKlhOG_AeBZaNe62pHpR4VHoVen3ARodL8rHGLvkTxx2PrK82nNmpXSedswkZkcgOvA9ZQ8LHB8TKV7zb_KiMWGuZkQLbmWG/s1600/Spine.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Spine</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause paralysis or death.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Eagle Beak</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hook Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Rear Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Panther Paw</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Chop</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- You can't attack the spine unless the
opponent has turned their back on you or they have turned sideways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lower part of the spine is more
susceptible to damage. The amount of damage you cause is determined by your
choice of strike and the power you put behind it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj9ELeEGOEnCS3DOG1TcLsYmgJ0Q8r4t8gLiJJfeVLYqmLfSh14My4R2ZZI3ttxfsQNvf3LCXLkTS2ZnacahXLyJ3pZFiT5GruHThKX-LOP9NFtQW2KUUwm5h-_knyye9wbf4XhNU0vZR/s1600/Kidney.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVj9ELeEGOEnCS3DOG1TcLsYmgJ0Q8r4t8gLiJJfeVLYqmLfSh14My4R2ZZI3ttxfsQNvf3LCXLkTS2ZnacahXLyJ3pZFiT5GruHThKX-LOP9NFtQW2KUUwm5h-_knyye9wbf4XhNU0vZR/s1600/Kidney.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Kidneys</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause organ damage--when this happens, the opponent will
have blood in their urine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Butterfly Palms</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Spear-Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Reverse Punch</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Side Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Chop<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Ridge hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Panther Paw</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Dagger Elbow</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Elbow Smash</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Rear Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hook Kick</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b>
Striking the kidney can cause a lot of pain, as there are large nerves running
over them close to the surface of the skin. If you strike hard enough you can
cause organ damage or even a slow death (meaning they won't die right in front
of you).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Groin</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary crippling pain (even on a woman) and organ
damage leading to sexual dysfunction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist (if your back is to them)</li>
<li>Palm Hand </li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop (if your back is to them)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Tiger Claw</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Tiger Claw (Raking)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Ridge Hand<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Snap Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Muay Thai Kick (delivered like the Snap Kick)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Rear Kick (if your back is to them)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick (if they turn sideways)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hook Kick (if they turn sideways)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Knee</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- In a street fight, this target can be easy
to strike--especially if they are walking or running at you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All you have to is kick between their legs
and raise the leg. Your foot or leg will bounce off the legs like a pin ball
straight to the target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let's face it,
how many people walk or run protecting their groin with their hand? If they
don't want to look like they are doing a potty dance, none. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are ways to protect the groin, but if the opponent has
their hand over it to do so, you can hit the hand in such a way that the hand
acts like a billiard ball. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Obviously, striking the groin of a man is a target. What
about a woman? Yes, it can be very painful to them too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Final comment. If the opponent is drunk, stoned or had a
high tolerance for pain, use a Muay Thai Kick. They will go down--and maybe to
the hospital and have to have one or both testicles (if it's a man) amputated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPErXkhnA7TgKR4PibFMehCI9G53_KYDFF2r5L5YUXU9sT1hbCuOSJYPzX_3GAc5GNMkIcopHf_D5E7hwEL5968BKr7JGyLbkTsQBO2uCBs1YTAZIhbbWDA-90wLAep26dE36pUdSQV4tm/s1600/Tail+bone.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPErXkhnA7TgKR4PibFMehCI9G53_KYDFF2r5L5YUXU9sT1hbCuOSJYPzX_3GAc5GNMkIcopHf_D5E7hwEL5968BKr7JGyLbkTsQBO2uCBs1YTAZIhbbWDA-90wLAep26dE36pUdSQV4tm/s200/Tail+bone.png" width="76" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Tail bone</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Palm Hand (if you are behind them)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span>Hammer Fist (if you are behind them)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Knee (if you are behind them)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Side Kick (if you are behind them)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hook Kick (if they turn sideways)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Wheel Kick (if they turn sideways)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick (if you are behind them)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> The
tailbone is a very sensitive part of the spine and can be broken off. There are
a lot of spinal nerves down there. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgAWWBChAxAjQcoInBmfAhm6_InrfcHqlrOHuj40uXaB-d_Vy8JcFMLuzlDJBJOzHe31tRRzUcS9JjlIUuYmWa_MZX8sqDxJUVC5inPgAZy1i31E7tyEhXxjkeuzLvvjhHExcdagTjnTS/s1600/Elbow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtgAWWBChAxAjQcoInBmfAhm6_InrfcHqlrOHuj40uXaB-d_Vy8JcFMLuzlDJBJOzHe31tRRzUcS9JjlIUuYmWa_MZX8sqDxJUVC5inPgAZy1i31E7tyEhXxjkeuzLvvjhHExcdagTjnTS/s1600/Elbow.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Elbow</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Palm Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Chop</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> It can
be amazing how easy this joint is to dislocate or break. To do so, you will
need to grab and extend the arm or pull it behind them and attack it from back
there. Attacking the elbow makes that opponent's arm useless in a fight. Please
note, that doesn't eliminate them from the fight. They can still be very
dangerous (think wounded animal). Only if they go away and nurse the arm can
you consider the threat over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BxUHJh6ANAibVlBpWQ7m_xKmEUn9ZDcbTR1A2qChJVIrABus-0dU0BB0ZUgtHrcOy9RVX9jPAFvHunL4i5rI3pAmHxfD_ecJjnkeFpNfvJI12-jiPugX882tNCNBfTQojp_DNh4GVsWG/s1600/Hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BxUHJh6ANAibVlBpWQ7m_xKmEUn9ZDcbTR1A2qChJVIrABus-0dU0BB0ZUgtHrcOy9RVX9jPAFvHunL4i5rI3pAmHxfD_ecJjnkeFpNfvJI12-jiPugX882tNCNBfTQojp_DNh4GVsWG/s1600/Hand.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target: </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Wrist</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Hammer Fist<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Chop</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Ridge Hand</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Crescent Kick (if they are holding something you
want to kick out of their hand)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Snap Kick (if they are holding something you
want to kick out of their hand)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>The
wrist is easy to break or sprain. There are various techniques that can cause
that, but I am not including them in this post. If the wrist is damaged, the
ability of the opponent to fight is greatly reduced.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BxUHJh6ANAibVlBpWQ7m_xKmEUn9ZDcbTR1A2qChJVIrABus-0dU0BB0ZUgtHrcOy9RVX9jPAFvHunL4i5rI3pAmHxfD_ecJjnkeFpNfvJI12-jiPugX882tNCNBfTQojp_DNh4GVsWG/s1600/Hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BxUHJh6ANAibVlBpWQ7m_xKmEUn9ZDcbTR1A2qChJVIrABus-0dU0BB0ZUgtHrcOy9RVX9jPAFvHunL4i5rI3pAmHxfD_ecJjnkeFpNfvJI12-jiPugX882tNCNBfTQojp_DNh4GVsWG/s1600/Hand.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Fingers</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Hammer Fist</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Crescent Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Crescent Kick (if they are holding something you
want to kick out of their hand)</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Snap Kick (if they are holding something you
want to kick out of their hand)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> Like
the wrist, the fingers are easy to break or sprain. There are various
techniques that can cause that, but I am not including them in this post. If
the fingers are damaged, the ability of the opponent to fight is greatly
reduced.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCeNHSrfKg0Yke00i79iw4AaVzlii987PTXxjaILTqyf_Qeo1-oKWl0XGcVqz1LdTk0jin0wnM7tk0P0i9A7w0CaQeLMezezUKxLLbBniIF2XdNyA4vRlMVR3lew5zVSnML4_eWnFbUh4/s1600/Knee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCeNHSrfKg0Yke00i79iw4AaVzlii987PTXxjaILTqyf_Qeo1-oKWl0XGcVqz1LdTk0jin0wnM7tk0P0i9A7w0CaQeLMezezUKxLLbBniIF2XdNyA4vRlMVR3lew5zVSnML4_eWnFbUh4/s1600/Knee.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Knee</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Rear Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Thrust Kick</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the opponent can't walk, they can't
fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that said, the knee can be a
very elusive target.You can destroy the knee by kicking it with the side of
your boot in an upward motion. This will rip the ligaments and the cartilage.
This will cause unbelievable pain and make it impossible for the enemy to move
around. Once a knee has been ruined, you will have a great advantage over the
enemy. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gb8MJpn62xdQL5ah0pDjYoFhMusblC5Dye0eMu1Hin0mtBMO8BdUY8w4SIO2Hz2gHonl9OgBeLmTyjAdNbvnTO3wxMGkUUHx9iK2rfX5BHMbXb-NKtoYvG3J0EpcqWfwx3lyb9vPo_83/s1600/Shin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gb8MJpn62xdQL5ah0pDjYoFhMusblC5Dye0eMu1Hin0mtBMO8BdUY8w4SIO2Hz2gHonl9OgBeLmTyjAdNbvnTO3wxMGkUUHx9iK2rfX5BHMbXb-NKtoYvG3J0EpcqWfwx3lyb9vPo_83/s1600/Shin.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Shin</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target: </b>Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Side Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Rear Kick<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Check Kick</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Just slide your instep down it</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Run your heel down it.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments: </b>The
nerves in this area are very close to the surface of the skin and even running
your inset or your heel down it will cause a lot of pain. A<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Side and Rear Kicks can break the fibula,
which is one of the weakest bones in the body. If you do that, you have
eliminated their ability to walk--they will have to hobble if they can tolerate
the pain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, if they can't walk,
they can't fight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxyfHDr222hqoUFOfv-VG9FyRMWQeBq1Sg3lYdrfaVxrgw3AVlryLWiG8kAIxPwn8WpK4Edjo7a0VpHH4zbiRs059UrdF_tbAhZyAzIgUdsT3zRZ5CRd6lPRanK56FMV2mxxmzFZiBiZL/s1600/Ankle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxyfHDr222hqoUFOfv-VG9FyRMWQeBq1Sg3lYdrfaVxrgw3AVlryLWiG8kAIxPwn8WpK4Edjo7a0VpHH4zbiRs059UrdF_tbAhZyAzIgUdsT3zRZ5CRd6lPRanK56FMV2mxxmzFZiBiZL/s1600/Ankle.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Target:</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Ankle</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangers of striking
this target:</b> Can cause temporary pain or broken bones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to strike it:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Stomp</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Comments:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a lot of techniques that can be
used to break the ankle, but they will not be posted here. Remember, if the
opponent can't walk, he can't fight. And actually, it will be impossible to
walk and fight with a broken ankle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Strikes</u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following strikes are not described below:</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Stomp</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Heel of your boot</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">T</span></span>oe of your boot</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
These have not been described
because they are<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>kind of obvious.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: center;">
The
list of strikes used above (alphabetical order):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Axe
Kick:</u></b> The Axe Kick is like the Crescent Kick, except you are bring the
leg downward on the target instead of straight across--striking with the back
of your heel as if it is an axe head--and thus origin of the name.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Back Fist:</u></b> This is a punch that is similar to a side
fist, except you are hitting with the back of your knuckles. Note: this is
not really a "smack" with the back of your fist, though I have
seen people treat it like that. It is, like the side fist, a straight out
and hits the target. The punch should strike with the knuckles of the
first and second finger only. Using the least amount of space on your hand
causes the power of the blow to go deeper into the target and more
damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please note: This is not a
haymaker. It is a straight in and out punch.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Butterfly
Palms:</u></b> This is using both of your palm hands with the base of your
palms touching above the wrists, thus making the rest of your hand look like
wings (thus the name). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are striking
with the palm bases. This is a great strike for "rounded parts" of
the body (such as the kidney area). </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Check
Kick:</u></b> Normally this is used as a block, but it can be used as a strike.
It is like the Inward Crescent kick, except that it starts in the center of
your body and goes toward the opposite side's outside. Your leg doesn't travel
far and you strike with your instep.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Chop:</u></b> When executed properly, is actually done not with
your hand but with the end of your ulna.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Crane Beak:</u></b> A crane beak is made by bringing all of
your finger tips together, forming what looks like a beak--thus the name.
You strike with the tips of your fingers.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Crescent
Kick:</u></b> The best way to describe a Crescent Kick is that you are slapping
with the side of your foot. It is kicked out in front of you, traveling in an
arc to and through the target. There really are two kinds of Crescent Kicks: </li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Inward (or what most call Crescent Kick) where
the leg travels from the outside of your body inwardly toward roughly the
center of your body; and</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Outward (or Reverse Crescent Kick) where the leg
travels from roughly the center of your body toward the outside.</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Dagger Elbow:</u></b> This is a strike with your elbow that is
a straight in and out motion--think of your bony elbow like Zorro's sword
and the funny comment that is made in the Mask of Zorro: "The pointy
end goes into the other man."</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Dart Hand:</u></b> Think of a finger poke, but done correctly. The
dart is not a lone finger, but actually done with the index finger
extended and the other three fingers bent underneath in support--why?
Having the lone finger do the work risks breaking the finger. It is too
flexible and weak by itself. The other three fingers provide a rigid
support.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Eagle Beak:</u></b> Make a fist. Raise your middle knuckle.
Strike with it. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Eagle Beak (Raking):</u></b> This is closed hand strike of the
Eagle Beak, except you are raking it across the target--either inwardly or
outwardly.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Finger pincer:</u></b> This is actually a grab with two
fingers. I know you probably have crossed your fingers before and this is
a very close to a finger pincer. Instead of fully crossing your fingers,
you grab the object (usually the eye) between the top of the fingernail of
your extended index finger and the first full joint of your middle finger.
Then you pull.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Gouge:</u></b> This is the same concept as the dart, but you
use your extended thumb which should lay across the top of your fist. By
itself, without the support of your fist, your thumb could break.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Hammer Fist:</u></b>. This is the only fist I like to strike
with. Make a full fist (keep your thumb on the outside. You strike with
the fleshy bottom of your hand like a hammer (thus the name). It can be
used in a downward arc or in an side arc either going from outside of you
to the center or from your center toward the outside.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Hook Kick:</u></b>
A hook kick looks like a side kick. The difference is that the kick actually
missed the target on the "outward path of travel) and hooks back to the target
with striking with the back part of your heel. This kick should not be used
(too often) in a street fight. It doesn't have the power of the side or rear
kick.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Knee:</u></b> If the person is bent over, this can go to a head
target, but otherwise it is only for the lower torso. It is not a fancy
strike. You drive your bent knee into the target just as if it was an
elbow.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Muay
Thai Kick:</u></b> The Muay Thai style of kickboxing has a lot of kicks, so
calling out one kick is really a false name. I use the name to reference what
you are kicking with. The Muay Thai style strikes not with their foot, but with
their shin bone.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Palm Hands:</u></b> Your hand is open, your fingers together, and
you are striking with the fleshy heel of your hand.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Panther
Fist:</u></b> Some call this a half fist. It is made by bending all the finger
at the first knuckle only. Like the dart, the side fingers are there for
support. It looks like a paw. You are actually striking with the middle
knuckle. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Racking punch:</u></b> There are other names for this punch,
but since most of my readers are not trained martial artist I am going to
make the name easier for you to remember and visualize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a strike with your full fist,
but it is not your normal punch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
you go to strike the target: You hit the target with the second knuckle of
your fist and as you hit you rotate the punch so that the base of the palm
is turned skyward. This punch will tear flesh, especially were the flesh
is tighter over the bones (for example: the temple or the eyebrow line
above the eye--which leads to blood streaming into the eye.)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Rear Kick:</u></b>
A rear kick is a kick behind you (thus the name) and strike with your heel.
Many people strike with their whole foot. This is a mistake. You<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>should imagine striking as if you have a
dagger (or for the ladies to make the image even easier--imagine you are
wearing stilettos) coming out of your heel and your plunging the dagger
straight in.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Reverse Punch:</u></b> This is what most people think of as a
straight punch. The hand extends straight out in a fist with a rotation
(as opposed to a twist like the racking punch). Normally a reverse punch
is only good for soft targets. I don't care how good someone is at
breaking bones, soft targets are a lot better to hit than bony ones. Think
along these lines: Which would you rather hit: a support beam or dry
wall?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The punch starts like a side
punch, but turns as it moves toward the target until the knuckles are on
top of the hand and are parallel to the floor. The punch should strike
with the knuckles of the first and second finger only. Using the least
amount of space on your hand causes the power of the blow to go deeper
into the target and more damage. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please note: This is not a haymaker. It
is a straight in and out punch.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Ridge Hand:</u></b> This is the opposite of a chop. Here you
are striking with the last knuckle of your thumb.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Side Fist:</u></b> This is a reverse punch that never rotates.
Like the reverse punch The hand extends straight out in a fist with the
fleshy part of the fist aimed at the ground. As with the reverse punch it
is only good for soft targets. I don't care how good someone is at
breaking bones, soft targets are a lot better to hit than bony ones. Think
along these lines: Which would you rather hit: a support beam or dry wall?
The punch extends straight out and hits the target. The punch should
strike with the knuckles of the first and second finger only. Using the
least amount of space on your hand causes the power of the blow to go
deeper into the target and more damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Please note: This is not a haymaker. It is a straight in and out
punch.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Side Kick:</u></b>
A side kick is a kick you make out to the side (thus the name) and strike with
your heel. Many people strike with their whole foot. This is a mistake.
You<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>should imagine striking as if you
have a dagger (or for the ladies to make the image even easier--imagine you are
wearing stilettos) coming out of your heel and your plunging the dagger
straight in.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Smashing Elbow:</u></b> This is where you smash the target with
the edge of your elbow. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Snap
Kick:</u></b> This is a fast kick that goes in front of you. You strike with
the balls of your feet. Many people make a mistake with this kick and use the
top of the foot. The purpose of the kick is to stun and cause a sharp pain. It
is generally not as powerful as a side or rear kick.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Spear
Hand:</u></b> You hand is open, with the fingers are tight against each other.
The strike is with the tip of the middle finger. The angle of the hand should
fit the target and the direction from which your arms come from. This is a
straight in and out strike and should hit a soft target. It is only good for
soft targets.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Thrust
Kick:</u></b> This kick looks like a side kick except it hits with the heel of
the foot. It is the kick you see most police use to kick open a door.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Tiger Claw:</u></b> This is an open hand strike with your
fingers rigid in a claw. While having fingernails is a plus, they are
actually not required. The tips of your fingers actually does the real
damage. The claw grasps the target or "punches into" the target.
If you have ever watched a cat (be it your house cat or a tiger) grab
something with his claw, you will get the general idea.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Tiger claw (Raking):</u></b> This is an open hand strike with
your fingers rigid in a claw. While having fingernails is a plus, they are
actually not required. The tips of your fingers actually does the real
damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The claw rakes across the
target.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Web Hand:</u></b> This is a straight strike with the web of
your hand that runs between your thumb and your first finger. The web is
stretched so it can be as rigid as it can be--which is made harder by
making the thumb and your fingers rigid. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Wheel
Kick:</u></b> Some styles call this a round house kick. There is a lot of
debate on how to execute this kick. Personally, I like to keep my wheel kick
(strike from point a to point b or floor to target) tight rather than making it
arc. This kick should not be used (too often) in a street fight. It doesn't
have the power of the side or rear kick. If you use it in a street fight either
strike with your ankle bone or turn it into a Muay Thai Kick..</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-40703768251820941752012-08-04T05:07:00.000-07:002012-08-04T05:07:29.355-07:00Having Coffee with Author T. W. Fendley<div style="color: white;">
Finally, life can start to (maybe) get back to some semblance of normalize. With that, so can this blog site. I had to apologize to the author who I had scheduled in July, but between my bill pay job and taking care of an elderly parent, my life just erupted out of control. I hope to have them scheduled again soon.</div>
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Meanwhile, this month I am combing my normal first of the month and the the first Saturday of the month post into one. I would welcome you to grab your coffee (or drink of choice), sit back and welcome Science-Fiction author TW <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Fendley as we discuss writing and offer you the chance to win a free signed copy of her book <u>Zero Time</u>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> What is <u>Zero Time</u> about?</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_832FOBSVewsLyyrBtH50ZCG6eSHtsldF1BM3HTzOzjoA_e12T2jDFlCCDZdMbzh6AArGE6CogW9KcAAtWWgNxxyZJxzpIQJDliERIsxcX-tejUCppJ5MfKGsj0BcT-h-65n1howQ093M/s1600/Zero+Time+sm-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_832FOBSVewsLyyrBtH50ZCG6eSHtsldF1BM3HTzOzjoA_e12T2jDFlCCDZdMbzh6AArGE6CogW9KcAAtWWgNxxyZJxzpIQJDliERIsxcX-tejUCppJ5MfKGsj0BcT-h-65n1howQ093M/s320/Zero+Time+sm-1.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
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"As Zero Time nears, only Keihla Benton can save two worlds
from the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>powers of Darkness. But first she must unlock the secrets of Machu Picchu
and her own past."</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">David Alan Lucas: When you are starting to work on a new
novel, what do you find brings the story into focus for you? A Character? A
setting? Something else? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">T. W. Fendley: </b>Working
with my characters' goals and motivation bring the story into focus for me. I
keep asking myself, "What would make him/her do that?" and "What
does he/she want?" That drives the plot. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What attracted you to Science Fiction? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>I've always had an
active imagination. I think that's just how my mind works--seeing possibilities
and "what if" are part of my personality. Sci-fi and fantasy allow me
to play with other people who think like I do. I had the good fortune to read
Jules Verne and C.S. Lewis as a kid. When I was about fifteen, Michael Crichton's
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Andromeda Strain </i>came out. I picked
up a copy at the library and got completely hooked on sci fi. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What key things make your stories work?</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>For me, it's all
about making connections between things that are seemingly unrelated. That's
why you'll find elements of science and history in my stories alongside
metaphysical concepts and mythology. It's this juxtaposition where freshness
(originality) occurs, kind of like putting complementary colors next to each
other in a painting--blue with orange "pops." </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What themes in your fiction writing seem to drive you
the most? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>I'm crazy about
cycles. I love sunspot cycles, history cycles, biological cycles. You name it,
if it's a cycle, I love it. I also enjoy stepping outside the normal way of
looking at the world, beyond our five senses. Sometimes this involves traditional
science, and other times it's more metaphysical or even psychological. This
includes remote viewing (a type of precognition), which I've been practicing
for a few years now (I host a blog at <a href="http://www.arv4fun.com/">www.ARV4fun.com</a>).
And I'm a huge fan of ancient American cultures--Inca, Maya, Aztec, etc.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: Do you work on multiple novels at once? If so, how
many? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>I write one novel
at a time, though I have edited a novel while writing another. This summer, I actively
worked on three short stories as part of the Clarion Write-a-Thon. They are all
at various stages of completion, but generally I try to finish the first draft
of one story before starting the next. As each story goes to my critique group
for review, I start the next one. Some of these stories would really like to be
novels (and one started out as part of a novel), but so far, I'm resisting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: How easy was it to take the leap of faith to become a
serious writer and chase this career? What did you find that you had to do to
take the step? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>Hmmm…I guess it
all depends what you mean by serious. I made the first major commitment of
money and time to writing fiction in 1997, when I attended the six-week Clarion
Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop. I wiped out several years of saved vacation
time (after my boss gave me permission to be off work for that long) and spent an
inheritance from my grandparents. It took another ten years before I was able
to write full-time and finish the novel that started as a short story idea at
Clarion.</div>
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But before any of that happened, I
had to take the chance on rejection and submit a story as my application to
Clarion. That wasn't as easy as it may sound. I figured getting an acceptance
letter was a benchmark in itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: In years past, new writers would battle their way in
the pulp magazines to build their readerships and their careers. Do you think
that is still the case in the explosion of electronic readers, blogs, e-zines,
and other like media? Who do you see as the current gatekeeper of the good
writers and those who are still developing? </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfFQOfLkWyl0IBitjCZTDu4p7qViPM6mBbFAR-jUzBCYxnYw9WLWKCAGJXTCVV-YXuHpV8mpqe0sf6mWj6mnQNj43u5kP_ZsYyyWL5V83YvvA3xt_jynFtUau1ddNRFL-uiIXGaFLWuAp/s1600/TWFendleyResized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfFQOfLkWyl0IBitjCZTDu4p7qViPM6mBbFAR-jUzBCYxnYw9WLWKCAGJXTCVV-YXuHpV8mpqe0sf6mWj6mnQNj43u5kP_ZsYyyWL5V83YvvA3xt_jynFtUau1ddNRFL-uiIXGaFLWuAp/s320/TWFendleyResized.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>It's always been
about reaching readers, who are the ultimate gatekeepers. The marketplace has
never been as open for writers as it is now. That's both a blessing and a
curse. More writers can get published than when you had to go through pulp
magazines, but now readers are inundated by choices. When it comes to
gatekeepers, the traditional ones are still in place--agents, publishers,
editors, bookstores. A new paradigm of self-gatekeeping is developing along
with self-publishing. This puts the burden and expense of producing a quality
product and marketing it solely on the writer. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: When you plot your novels, from whose point of view do
you plot from? The protagonist’s? The antagonist’s? The narrator’s? Some one
else? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>Since I'm a
big-time pantster, this question somewhat baffles me. Although I keep trying to
plot in advance (I guess that would be the narrator), I find my stories are
generally driven from the protagonist's perspective. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: Arthur C. Clarke
once wrote that when science catches up with the science fiction writer, the
science fiction writer needs to make a leap forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you stay ahead of the game?</b> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW:</b> Imagination. Which
brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein: “Imagination is
more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and
understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever
will be to know and understand.”</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What novels, books, articles, magazines or other media
most useful when you are researching your novels? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>I allow the
research to lead me. If I find a good source, often it will refer to other
information. I check that out, too. With my interest in Peru and Mesoamerica,
I've amassed dozens of books on everything from tourist travel guides to folktales
to guidebooks of flora and fauna in ancient times. Of course, the internet is
essential these days. Whenever possible, I travel. The personal experience
"on location" gives me perspectives and accuracy I wouldn't otherwise
have.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: What is your writing schedule like?</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>I'd like to say I
am very disciplined with my writing, but that wouldn't be true. In fact, I
didn't write much at all in the first six month after my debut book's release.
Marketing takes a lot of time! I write an hour or two each day I'm home,
although that includes doing research and editing. I also spend several hours
each day doing a variety of things to further my writing endeavors -- entering
contests, seeking agents or publishers for my books and stories, etc. I regularly
contribute to two writing blogs (The Writers' Lens and Pots & Pens) and
tweet about those. I also blog on my author's website, including posts as a
member of the Blog Ring of Power that features interviews with other
speculative fiction authors. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: If you could have coffee (or drink of your choice) with
four other authors from any time period, who would you choose and why? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>There are so many
authors whose work I love, how could I possibly limit it to four? Let's make my
drink a skinny decaf mocha.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Isaac Asimov</b> -- His Foundation
series has CYCLES! and "Nightfall" is my all-time favorite short
story. Did I mention how much I love his robot stories?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Neal Stephenson, Kim Stanley Robinson, Dan Simmons and
Diana Gabaldon</b> -- I want to become their clone
(I know--impossible, even for a clone, to be four people.) They're all great
storytellers who weave history and science with memorable characters and crazy
worldbuilding.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tim Powers</b> -- I was in
awe of him at Clarion (he was the lead instructor), and I still am, but I'd
love to have the chance to just sit and chat. He's an imaginative writer who
makes complex plots fun to read, an artist and nice guy.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jim Butcher, Ursula LeGuin and Anne McCaffrey</b> -- They take fantasy to the next level in their unique ways.
I'd love to get ideas on how to do that</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DL: How could my readers learn more about you? </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TW: </b>Probably the best
place is my website, <a href="http://www.twfendley.com/">www.twfendley.com</a>.
I have links to my other blogs and to Twitter (@twfendley), Facebook,
Goodreads, Library Thing, etc. I'm happy to report that ZERO TIME is available
at the St. Louis County Library (ebook only), as well as from Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and various indie bookstores (ebook and paperback).</div>
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Thank you T. W. Fendley!</div>
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<br /></div>
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How do you win a free copy of this book? <b>To enter
the contest, simply leave a comment or question on the Writers' Lens blog
between now (August 4th, 2012) and midnight August 31, 2012.</b> Please include
your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you leave, the
greater your chance of winning the contest.<i> If you refer others to The
Writer's Lens </i>who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter your name
again in our random number generator along with theirs, also increasing your
chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on Friday, August
31 and the announcement made on Saturday, September 1. Good luck and comment
often. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-22026421060440778162012-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:002012-07-28T09:02:48.866-07:00The Winner of Serial is...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIRaEjd84ObweKY4joWqzjW5xgmXaCQwLJDtV8Sk6bW760EtiJS83t-VOnvEstVpUOKU8UV35V6zbGttJB3_rH56y1EgkT_LBUu3obre84l-oOkfwZgOMOGava0QBMUNfbTrcoYPJtUZ_/s1600/Serial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIRaEjd84ObweKY4joWqzjW5xgmXaCQwLJDtV8Sk6bW760EtiJS83t-VOnvEstVpUOKU8UV35V6zbGttJB3_rH56y1EgkT_LBUu3obre84l-oOkfwZgOMOGava0QBMUNfbTrcoYPJtUZ_/s1600/Serial.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The winner of Serial by John Lutz is Jeannie Lin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congratulations! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-29768422632661718702012-07-28T02:00:00.001-07:002012-07-28T02:00:00.853-07:00This Week's Book Giveaway: Murder at the No Tell Motel--an Interview with Claire Applewhite and Giving Away St. Louis Hustle<div style="color: white;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvEn02SzyRUKNP_AEcQsqc7CmVOj0XY-8IQYlzjq7_FVZwBGzrdOsdWoTKMYqXnzklJMMgRldicxoJyvXhNPZO1EH9UHRh7hYSEvZSsszLbOqZjHo9WphlPDLTiJ2ZG0DtExKLtzGCV-Q/s1600/St+Louis+Hustle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvEn02SzyRUKNP_AEcQsqc7CmVOj0XY-8IQYlzjq7_FVZwBGzrdOsdWoTKMYqXnzklJMMgRldicxoJyvXhNPZO1EH9UHRh7hYSEvZSsszLbOqZjHo9WphlPDLTiJ2ZG0DtExKLtzGCV-Q/s320/St+Louis+Hustle.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
This week, Coffee with David is honored to bring
its readers the Nam Noir novel set at the old St. Louis "No Tell
Motel" Coral Court. Yes, we are giving away Claire Applewhite's <u>St.
Louis Hustle.</u></div>
<div style="color: white;">
This
interview and giveaway was originally posted on The Writers' Lens.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"A simple case turns into a web
of lethal deception. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"When sleek Emily Davies begs Elvin Suggs to trail her
philandering husband, Nick, it seems like an easy request. Dimond
"Di" Redding and Elvin are eager to get started on the first case for
their new business, Grapevine Investigations. Along with help from their fellow
Vietnam vet Cobra Glynes, they follow the cheating husband straight to St.
Louis' notorious "no tell motel"-The Coral Court.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Right from the start Di distrusts Emily, a nurse at
People's Hospital. She can't explain why she's uneasy until they spot the woman
playing doctor with a plastic surgeon at the very same motel.<br />
The mousy desk clerk Waldo E. knows his "regulars" but he refuses to
divulge his secrets to the investigators. When one of his regular guests turns
up dead, he still won't talk, not even to police detective Reggie Combs. The
woman's sleazy landlord is quick to point the finger at Emily's cheating
husband.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"After another body turns up, this time at the Coral
Court Motel, Elvin and Di discover there's no escape until they see this
twisted case through to the bitter end..."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Legend John Lutz wrote: "Author
Applewhite has created an engrossing tale that presents the setting almost as
one of the cast of characters. If you like neatly rendered, nicely plotted
fiction, you'll finish St. Louis Hustle in one sitting. For those who know
little or nothing about St. Louis, Applewhite's novel is the perfect gateway to
the Gateway City."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I had the pleasure to have a
conversation with Claire about her writing and why she writes Noir. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">David
Alan Lucas:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> You are a very soft spoken and kind
person. What has drawn you to write about one of the most heinous acts that man
commit--murder?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Claire
Applewhite:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I am intrigued by what would
motivate someone to commit such a heinous act.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> You have a series of books that are set in St. Louis,
Missouri that have been classified as 'Nam Noir. What is 'Nam Noir?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Noir is a subgenre of mystery fiction. Themes such as
isolation and disillusionment, and motives such as jealousy, greed and lust, as
well as resilience in the face of adversity, all define the noir
tradition. The series set in St. Louis
centers on three Vietnam veterans, and the events in their lives before and
after their reunion, twenty years later. Because the themes of noir influenced
the lives of the ‘Nam veterans, the series was classified as ‘Nam Noir.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When you plot your novels, from whose point of
view do you plot from? The protagonist’s? The antagonist’s? The narrator’s?
Some one else?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I plot from the POV of the character with the most at
stake; that is, the one with the most to lose. This character is usually
involved with the other major characters, and has a reason to care deeply about
attainment of personal goals and desires, and perhaps, the achievements of
other characters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When you are starting to work on
a novel, what do you find brings the story into focus for you? A Character? A
setting? Something else?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> In other words, how do I plan a project? I write the first
page and last page first. Then, I decide
what would be the climax or middle of the plot and write a page for a central
chapter. Remember, the middle cannot sag! From there, using index cards, I
decide what plot points occur between the beginning, middle and end, and fill
in the chapters in between. I have heard this method called “storyboarding”,
a film making technique, but I find it
to be an effective plotting device.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> What brings your
writing into focus?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> When a major character is put into a crisis, or an unusually stressful
situation, and I am forced to feel with that character, that is, endure the
stress and survive, the story becomes more clearly focused for me. Firsthand, I feel the character’s strengths
and weaknesses, and experience the level of resilience. Many times, a stressful situation will also illustrate
the quality of a plot point, that is, the effectiveness in the execution of a
key scene. In this way, a potential
wrinkle or snag in the plot may be highlighted.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> What drives your
novels: Theme, Character, Plot, the Mystery?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> What drives the novel are the needs/desires/goals of the
protagonist/antagonist. Their story arcs, each necessitating a transformation
by the end of the story, drive the novel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Do you work on multiple projects at once? If
so, how many? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVh3FvJZdfkh_LS0mB2o0hHtOXIfqg4jVKmDKYfJM_UHXWyKXyHlY3tonp_L27qg17xSzxv5giimczxVXghu2RFEDFos2K2PAWm7hQEE6HqL11MTz6pVf2eZGElKqyWyQ0ng_1DJSAxF7s/s1600/Claire+Applewhite+at+the+Mo+Writers+Conference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVh3FvJZdfkh_LS0mB2o0hHtOXIfqg4jVKmDKYfJM_UHXWyKXyHlY3tonp_L27qg17xSzxv5giimczxVXghu2RFEDFos2K2PAWm7hQEE6HqL11MTz6pVf2eZGElKqyWyQ0ng_1DJSAxF7s/s320/Claire+Applewhite+at+the+Mo+Writers+Conference.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I complete one manuscript at a time, and let each one sit
for at least a month to attain some distance from it. During that 30 day “rest”
I start a new project. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> How easy was it to take the leap of faith to
become a serious writer and chase this career? What did you find that you had
to do to take the step?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I have always written creatively as a hobby, but it was not
until I was a little past forty that I came across a short story that I wrote
as a senior at St. Louis University entitled, “On Call.” At the time I wrote
it, the instructor and other students encouraged me to expand it into a
novel---but I didn’t do it. Almost
twenty years later, that story became my first published novel, The Wrong Side
of Memphis. My point is, that I wasn’t
ready to expose the feelings in that short story until I felt comfortable doing
so—and for me, that meant waiting awhile. For a writer to decide to go for it,
I believe, isn’t always a matter of faith or whether it is easy or hard to do
the writing. A writer can do the writing
without anxiety, if they are ready. Sometimes, it’s a matter of if or when
you’re ready to let go of an issue or expose feelings that have been sitting on
an emotional shelf. That’s the tough part. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> A lot of marketing
falls on to the writer. How do you market your novels? How do you manage to
juggle everything you do?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I have to admit that right away, I realized that marketing
the novel was going to be just as time consuming and vital as writing it. I felt a little panicked, and then, decided
that this was too important to try and do by myself. My mind was open to
consulting when a friend told me that his friend had just been laid off and was
looking for work. We met, and though neither of us had much experience in
marketing books, we decided to work on a book together. So, I have a publicist to help with book
signings and photography, and a computer specialist to monitor my website. I
also got approval to stock my books at Barnes & Noble in the Midwest region
and scheduled book signings locally. Kirkus has reviewed my books and I post
the reviews on Goodreads and Twitter. I lecture, visit libraries, and serve as
a board member for the Midwest Chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and am an
Active member, Mystery Writers of America.
However, I had a literary agent tell me recently that nothing is as
powerful as “word of mouth” recommendations.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As far as juggling, I do something
on the marketing front everyday. It cannot be a sporadic effort, it should be
consistent and steady.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> What is your writing schedule like?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> I get up at 6 am and start writing, and usually stop around
10:30 to 11 am. If it is an unusual day
and that is not possible, the time must be made up from 10 pm to 1 or 2
am. Either way, there is a ten page quota
per day.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> If you could have coffee (or drink of your
choice) with four other authors from any time period, who would you choose and
why?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Ed McBain, Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Cornell Woolrich.
These authors have unique perspectives on the essential elements of a murder
mystery: motive, opportunity and means. Rendell and Woolrich in particular,
focus on psychological suspense, while Mc Bain and Christie have plots that I
find intriguing. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> How could my readers learn more about you?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">CA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Readers may visit my website at <a href="http://www.claireapplewhite.com/">www.claireapplewhite.com</a>, or view television interviews and book
trailers on YouTube, Claire Applewhite.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Thank you Claire!</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
How do you win a free copy of this book? <b>To enter the contest,
simply leave a comment or question on Coffee with David blog between now (July 28th)
and midnight August 3rd, 2012.</b> Please include your email so we can reach
you if you win. The more comments you leave, the greater your chance of winning
the contest.<i> If you refer others to Coffee with David </i>who mention your
name in their comments, I'll enter your name again in our random number
generator along with theirs, also increasing your chances at winning! The
winner will be chosen after midnight on Friday, August 2nd and the announcement
made on Saturday, August 3rd. Good luck and comment often.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-64252480100774829532012-07-21T06:53:00.002-07:002012-07-21T06:53:58.907-07:00The Day of the Wolf<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The Day of the Wolf</div>
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By David Alan Lucas</div>
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It is the day of the wolf!</div>
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Snarling—growling—scratching</div>
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At my door.</div>
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Am I hero or coward?</div>
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Another scotch burning</div>
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Down my throat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pouring rage, the door explodes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Howling amidst the ruins,</div>
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The wolf glares.</div>
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The day has come upon me!</div>
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The question to be answered:</div>
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Duty or fear?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Curling its lip, scent of fear</div>
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Drawing the wolf near me.</div>
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Battle joined</div>
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I feel the valor within.</div>
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Fear evaporated;</div>
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Courage remains.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the mirror the wolf locks</div>
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His eyes holding mine, joined</div>
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We are one.</div>
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Into the world I step forth</div>
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In sheep clothing I hunt</div>
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Dealers of death.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Harvesters of death, sheep enveloped</div>
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Blind, lead to self-slaughter,</div>
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Sheep know not.</div>
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The wolf prowls silently among</div>
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Bidding time, patience to pounce,</div>
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Death my prey.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-9736796021018766602012-07-21T02:00:00.001-07:002012-07-21T02:00:07.106-07:00This Week's Book Giveaway: Terms of Interment<div style="color: white;">
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<div style="color: white;">
This week, Coffee with David is honored to bring
its readers a tale of deceit and desperation. A story that is shadowy,
slapstick, and surreal as it follows one man's "ordeal from the opulence
of his Central West End parlor to the dark, grim graveyard in this fantasy
novel by award-winning author Marcel Toussaint. This
interview and giveaway was originally posted on The Writers' Lens. The winner never
claimed their prize.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDy3y8u4yJEL0oSRI5CN5fcohRUqJ400FlYDUaHVzC5ySswVUWAfkpRUc5IspW8Ou60Nqv7q2X4hMdKdIv8k5b1wpyxuIgsnDir0ep5CJkWIvpEDcu1bcVkC1jLC5xYlGSCHrxlHXNX38/s1600/MARCEL+BOOK+COVER.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDy3y8u4yJEL0oSRI5CN5fcohRUqJ400FlYDUaHVzC5ySswVUWAfkpRUc5IspW8Ou60Nqv7q2X4hMdKdIv8k5b1wpyxuIgsnDir0ep5CJkWIvpEDcu1bcVkC1jLC5xYlGSCHrxlHXNX38/s1600/MARCEL+BOOK+COVER.png" /></a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Marcel
Toussaint </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">published his
first book in the 90’s, Remember Me Young, a collection of poems written over
his many years. His poems are also featured in fourteen anthologies, including
America at the Millennium. He has read on various radio and TV stations
including National Public Radio and the Education channel. In early 2009, Toussaint
entered the National Veterans Poetry Awards competition and won gold medals in
the categories of Patriotic, Personal Humorous. His poem in the Patriotic
category is featured in the National Veterans Poetry Anthology. Toussaint won
an award for his two poems entries at the St.
Louis Writers Guild Poetry Throwdown at the
Focal Point in St. Louis in 2010. He has been a featured poet at the Observable
Readings, at the Missouri of Modern Arts Museum, Poetry Per Chance at
Washington University to name a few events. A selection of his poems have been
published in Korean, in Wilderness January 2011. Toussaint writes in English,
French and Spanish and has been translated to Dutch, German, Catalan, Korean.
He has read his poetry in Paris at the Club des Poetes and in Valencia, Spain
2008. The poet reads his poetry at various open mikes in the Metropolitan area.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
His new novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Terms of Interment</i>, came out October
2011. </div>
<div style="color: white;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Poetry of a Lifetime</i>, was published in 2009.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
Marcel Toussaint
represented The Saint Louis VA at The National Veterans Creative Arts Nationals
in Fayetteville, Arkansas October 2011 and brought back a National Gold Medal
Poetry. He was selected to perform his entry in costume on stage and the show
was videotaped to be run on PBS in November 2012.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
An interview with
Marcel Toussaint:</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">David
Alan Lucas:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> When you are
starting to work on a novel, what do you find brings the story into focus for
you? A Character? A setting? Something else?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Marcel
Toussaint: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">A human
interest will be most motivating. I do observe all that surrounds me at
all times. I try to be very discreet about it. The smallest spark can become a
novel. I often write a novel within a month and a half. Preparing for eventual
publication takes more time than that. So I read and re-read the manuscript,
inventing more scenes and embellishing as I go. There comes the time when
the novel has to be assumed completed, and there it goes to the editor. I do
not follow what I have been taught! I write in scenes and this allows for the
placing of them where I find them to be best suited. I do not follow an outline
from A to Z. I may have the ending before even writing the
beginning. Many scenes in between are written as they come up to my mind.
Fresh ideas move me immediately.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> What brings your poetry into focus? </span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Oddly enough, I often write a title for a
poem and then write the poem. Since I write poetic portraits, anyone who
strikes my curiosity by his deportment or conversation is a very motivating
subject for writing. In some instances just an interesting nature scene or
event will wake up my muse and influence me.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> What themes in your fiction writing seem
to drive you the most? Are they the same with your poetry?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">I get all wrapped up in unusual
characters and I build a story around them. The characters could develop into a
mini story for a poem, a short story, or a novel. It depends on the
strength of events that develop in my mind as the writing progresses. If I see
that there are many meandering possibilities in the process, it becomes a
novel.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> Do you work on multiple projects at
once? If so, how many? </span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Definitively. I wrote three novels at the
same time when the three ideas came to mind at about the same time. One
of the novels typically will take up most of my time while the other two give
me a change of pace for my thoughts, away from the primary novel. Ideas
cannot be wasted; they must be used immediately.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> How easy was it to take the leap of
faith to become a serious writer and chase this career? What did you find that
you had to do to take the step?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Having written and drawn from the age of
twelve, it has been an ongoing passion. I did it at first for pleasure and
curiosity. Then I graduated to get attention and see how creative my writing
could be. Eventually I wanted to collect my poetry and novels to hopefully
display a substantial accomplishment. This progressive passion took me into
many courses in writing to see if I was up with the changing times. Looking
back, my first publication was at the age of twelve with a series of cards in a
fourfold featuring a small drawing on the front page. U.S. soldiers began to
notice my cards as they came to our house for a family dinner. They
initiated me on the mimeograph processes and facilitated my budding business in
buying my cards. The cards were done on a waxed paper and put into one of
those marvelous print repeaters. Business was good at twelve in Morocco.
Many years later, I took a course about being published at Meramec Junior
College here in Saint Louis. The course was so grand that I presented my
poetry to various anthologies. After an initial rejection, I ended up in
fourteen publications within a year or so, following the steps I had been
taught in the course.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> When you plot your novels, from whose
point of view do you plot from? The protagonist’s? The antagonist’s? The narrator’s?
Someone else?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">I have written five novels. I would
say I have covered all those bases. It depends on the individual story.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> What was your biggest fear when you
decided to first be published as a novelist or a poet? Do you still have
those fears with each new book or are there other fears that come up?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">I have been very fortunate. Editors of
university journals, book editors and publishers have all shown interest in my
poetry. I have more fears presenting my work to contests. Judges have likes and
dislikes and are very set in their ways. Many of them feel grandiose at
deciding if a poem will make it to the finish line or not. They favor the style
they approve irrespective of the quality of the poems. Some of them have
so many excuses for eliminating an entry for some ridiculous detail whether the
title is in bold or you used the “old” accepted way of capitalizing the major
letters of the title. One judge just did not accept poems centered on the page!
So eliminating those poems and again keeping the fee! No contest I have
looked into has ever mentioned such rules! The interesting thing is they keep
your entry fee but trash your poem without reading it! Some contest like
obscured poetry! I wonder what is the use to write something that no one will
want to read past a few verses? My French professors insisted on clear well
written verses that, in those days rhymed, that made sense and were part of a
well constructed poem. </span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> What is your writing schedule like?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">I write when I feel like it. This
means continuously. Any idea is immediately put to paper, even while
driving. I just make quick notes at stoplights and during traffic stops,
using my steering wheel as a writing desk. This later helps me recall what is
important for a story or a character. I get up in the middle of the night when
an idea dawns and write for hours, before going back to sleep in the early
morning hours.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> If you could have coffee (or drink of
your choice) with four other authors from any time period, who would you choose
and why?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Verlaine and Baudelaire, because some of
my verses, I am told, trigger their works in the minds of my readers. Moliere
for his comedy and De la Fontaine for his fables that are mini stories, much
like my poems.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">DL:</span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";"> How could our readers learn more about
you?</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">MT: </span></b><span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">To know a writer is to read his works.
Poetry of a Lifetime is an autobiography that my editor, Linda Dahlheimer,
commissioned me to assemble under her watchful eye. She was most
interested to find that my life’s time line was parallel with my poetry time
line. She found the poems that were most conducive to be included in the
publication. Her creative insight is superb. She insisted that a photo
album be included along with some of my quotations. Terms of Internment,
also edited by Linda, I wrote with the collaboration of Cyrus Pars. Both
can be found at <a href="http://www.nacgpress.com./">www.nacgpress.com.</a>
My business card, which I regularly hand out, includes a QR code that can be
scanned to reach the publisher’s site.</span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: ""serif"","serif";">Thank you Marcel for your
interview. </span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
How do you win a free copy of this book? <b>To enter the contest,
simply leave a comment or question on Coffee with David blog between now (July
21st) and midnight July 27th, 2012.</b> Please include your email so we can
reach you if you win. The more comments you leave, the greater your chance of
winning the contest.<i> If you refer others to Coffee with David </i>who
mention your name in their comments, I'll enter your name again in our random
number generator along with theirs, also increasing your chances at winning!
The winner will be chosen after midnight on Friday, July 27th and the
announcement made on Saturday, July 28th. Good luck and comment often.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-50674824170741445412012-07-15T19:01:00.001-07:002012-07-15T19:01:55.366-07:00The winner of Hitchcock on Hitchcock is . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNJe60QwwXzeOyZ56kKPRe9_hOSx5epXAcuO21KKwfVEfWWG9plC_cUZEEqGX1ZGS51DyyhwL9yTah3PBIjOYRVNnAXSxz-AhpZGiZ32U-V6WMrg2cgjj0oYxPVP4on_LRnZkrjpcELXf/s1600/Hitch+on+Hitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNJe60QwwXzeOyZ56kKPRe9_hOSx5epXAcuO21KKwfVEfWWG9plC_cUZEEqGX1ZGS51DyyhwL9yTah3PBIjOYRVNnAXSxz-AhpZGiZ32U-V6WMrg2cgjj0oYxPVP4on_LRnZkrjpcELXf/s320/Hitch+on+Hitch.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
The winner is Carl.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Congratulations!<br />
<br />
Please send me your shipping address to David@DavidAlanLucas.com<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-28658766139703221892012-07-14T07:00:00.000-07:002012-07-14T07:44:52.252-07:00Writing the Fight Scene: "Can a Woman Take on a Man in a Fight and Win?"<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I wrote on July 3rd, I have changed this month's writing
the fight scene topic to answer a question posed by one of my readers. The
reader wrote on June 19, 2012, <i>"Hi David. I wondered if you might have any
insight regarding hand-to-hand combat with a female protagonist. <br /><br />
"I recently read somewhere that a woman cannot "take on" a man,
period. No way, no how.</i>
<i><br /><br />
"I know that upper body strength is an obvious issue, but wonder if there
are certain things she can optimize, use to her advantage, or take advantage of
in a male opponent, etc. And I don't mean basic self-defense either. I'm
thinking equivalent to a trained, female soldier.</i>
<i><br /><br />
"Appreciate any thoughts."</i>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I wrote the first draft of my response to this, I
found I was over ten pages single spaced on Microsoft Word. Most blog readers don't want to read
something long, so I have decided to split the answer into two blogs. This is
the first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQtPz5LJFVl8Y_jHiCss1Qcc6xb0u0qoCMPLXN3S13YRFCah6nYqraav38o7a3M4VXk3KdqXNwUUwUAyQqi_tnxHN82DwU3j99KCVUJ8WXUsA7GcaekQ-lqQ4xHkBro2gohDgavAPD9DQ/s1600/Me+with+a+katana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQtPz5LJFVl8Y_jHiCss1Qcc6xb0u0qoCMPLXN3S13YRFCah6nYqraav38o7a3M4VXk3KdqXNwUUwUAyQqi_tnxHN82DwU3j99KCVUJ8WXUsA7GcaekQ-lqQ4xHkBro2gohDgavAPD9DQ/s320/Me+with+a+katana.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I begin, I must warn you of three things:</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4;">It will still be lengthy; </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4;">It will be answered
frankly and honestly as this Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt) in Chinese (or
Tracy's or Original) Kenpo sees it based on both personal experience and
those he has had the honor of calling sisters in the brotherhood of black
belts; and </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4;">If you harbor a false male
ego that men are superior fighters because they are physically stronger,
your ego will be shattered like a porcelain doll---a very girly porcelain
doll. (I think I hear some shattering already. Oh well. "Clean up in aisle 6!
Clean up in aisle 6!")</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Obviously, the answer to question if a woman can defeat a
man is yes. Before I explain why it is, and at the risk of sounding like I am
providing a mathematical proof, let me lay down a few things to be sure you and
I are on the same page.</div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">I am assuming that neither
the man nor the woman have any injuries, illnesses, mental problems, or so
that would limit them. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1;">I am also assuming that
these people do not have special abilities or magical powers, and so
forth. If they do, this would still be true—as long as your world is
treating them equally in the sense that they would otherwise be normal
people.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I write the following with both the Kenpo Code and the Oath
in mind. I have taken this oath since I was ten and done my best to live by the
oath and the code. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The code is: </div>
<ul style="color: white; margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b>I come
to you with only open hands, other weapons, I have not. But should Right
or Honor require it my hands will bear me out</b>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My oath is: </div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I solemnly pledge that I will use the art of Karate solely for the
purposes of defense, never for purposes of aggression. </b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I will treat with respect both my teachers and fellow
students. </b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> I will strive to impart an
attitude of respect and appreciation for the teachings of Karate, and an
understanding of the responsibility that a knowledge of Karate entails.</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I will never sanction the use of Karate for destructive or harmful
ends. I make these promises
solemnly and on my honor.</b></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
Let’s begin by defining the word "fight". If we are looking at a ruled
completion (as in a ring match) where there are certain things that are either
required or disqualified, then either person may be over matched. I know rules
are meant to make a competition fight fair, but they usually lean towards one
style or ability (such as strength) over others. Unless you are writing the next Rocky or
Karate Kid tournament novel, rules will not apply to what you are writing.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>(Sidebar: Police
officers do have to follow certain rules on the street. Contact your local
police department on what those are.) </u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This leaves us with either with hand-to-hand combat or a
street fight. In either case, I personally follow these philosophies:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;">(To borrow from Joss
Whedon who said it best with his Character Mal Reynolds in Firefly)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> “</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">Someone ever tries to
kill you, you try to kill 'em right back!</span>”</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u> (Sidebar:
Just because you are defending yourself doesn’t mean you may not be arrested.
However, a good lawyer can get you out of a jury of twelve. He can’t get you
out of a box carried by six.)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></u></i></li>
</ol>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There is no such thing as the undefeatable opponent. Everyone and
everything has a weakness. The trick is finding and exploiting it.</b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;">There is an old Asian (I
think Japanese) saying I heard as a twelve-year old boy that has stuck
with me and I have passed it along to all those who I have taught any
self-defense to:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> “A butterfly could
knock down a man if it only knew where to place its wings.” </b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will show you those weak points and how to exploit them below
under “Butterfly Wing Techniques.” (next month's blog) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s walk before we run. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything from here on assumes the combatants are unarmed.
This is a misnomer. If your character (or if it is you in real life) have
clothing on, you are armed. You read that correctly. Unless you are naked and
the ground you are fighting on is completely sterile and empty and your hands
are empty, you can always have a weapon--even if that weapon is a stick of
chewing gum. I will make that a separate blog subject in the future (September
8th).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>(Sidebar: I once
gave a student of mine a “homework assignment.” I asked him to think of
anything that could not be a weapon. He came back and mentioned a few things. I
showed him how they could be used as a weapon. I explained as I did so the real
definition of what a weapon is. I had him do it again. He came back and
explained about the various things he thought about (and I had to give him
credit, he was quite inventive on showing how things could be used as a weapon)
and concluded everything could be a weapon. He was right.)</u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does a woman defeat a man? The same way any weaker
opponent defeats a stronger one: by using their brains and their (dis)advantages to
the best of their ability. A fighter is never brainless (unless you are writing
zombies or berserkers). The stronger opponent doesn’t want you to think. He wants
you to fear. The weaker opponent must think and use their fear to their
advantage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before I go into how to see your or your characters
advantages, let me tell you a story about someone who should not have been able
to defeat stronger opponents. But, he did . . . quite often and it was fun to
watch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A late instructor of mine, Steve Leventhal was a great
fighter. He was short, around five foot two to five foot four. His height did
not prevent him from competing in martial art fighting competitions nor did it
prevent him from walking home with the trophies from them. With his foot on the
ground, he could kick a man over six feet tall in the head. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, I’m not making this up. While I have always believed
from my earliest days of Martial Art training that there was no such thing as
an undefeatable opponent, watching Steve was watching the philosophy come to life
every time he stepped in to the ring. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is with great sadness that I must end this example by
saying Steve passed away at the age of 27 from unknown causes in 2006. He was the same rank I am now when he passed away. His storytelling and his teaching is missed very much. Yet, his
living lesson continues on in all those who watched him and learned from
him—including me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How did Steve do it? Simple! He used his brains, experience,
and timing to get inside of the taller opponent’s reach. Once he was too close
for the opponent to punch or kick, the opponent had to withdraw to a more
comfortable distance. There was no way he was going to let the opponent do
that. Instead he stayed on top and struck from his punching or kicking range.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the opponent is stronger, use his strength against him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the opponent has more experience, use it against him. (It
is quite common for Black Belts to be surprised by White Belts because the
White Belts don’t know that they can’t do something.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the opponent is faster, use his speed to his disadvantage. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If your opponent is scary, use the adrenaline pumping in your veins to make yourself terrifying. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you get the idea? What are your or your characters
disadvantages are, from there you can discover your advantages. No one is
undefeatable. (Tougher than hell, but not undefeatable!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I wrote above, we will continue this discussion next
month on August 11, 2012 with a blog titled "Butterfly Wing Techniques"
that will go through all of the points where any man (as the saying goes,
"be it ape, man, angel or demon") is weak. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-71835878561899005482012-07-14T02:00:00.000-07:002012-07-14T02:00:05.775-07:00This Week's Book Giveaway: Serial by Legendary Master of Suspense, John Lutz<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
This week, Coffee with David is honored to bring
its readers a master--a legend--of the thriller and mystery genre: John Lutz.
This interview and giveaway was originally posted on The Writers' Lens. The
winner never claimed their prize.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">"If I've scared somebody enough
to disturb their sleep--that's good."--John Lutz</b></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJoyRRPw8cqwsgq71KWwBw46Mzfy7myAy_UglqfxYnHlhLIOEZLW8NeaUCAnD3_l-KAYYOZCDDV-LzShirNRVhuIHtUv3RqT61ANgT00pwLbla45kGxLJIwntdhx5BNzRVqWq1abAQomWH/s1600/Serial.JPG" style="float: left;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIRaEjd84ObweKY4joWqzjW5xgmXaCQwLJDtV8Sk6bW760EtiJS83t-VOnvEstVpUOKU8UV35V6zbGttJB3_rH56y1EgkT_LBUu3obre84l-oOkfwZgOMOGava0QBMUNfbTrcoYPJtUZ_/s1600/Serial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIRaEjd84ObweKY4joWqzjW5xgmXaCQwLJDtV8Sk6bW760EtiJS83t-VOnvEstVpUOKU8UV35V6zbGttJB3_rH56y1EgkT_LBUu3obre84l-oOkfwZgOMOGava0QBMUNfbTrcoYPJtUZ_/s400/Serial.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>David Alan Lucas:</b> When you are starting to work on a new novel, what do you
find brings the story into focus for you? A Character? A setting? Something
else?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>John Lutz: </b>Almost
always the characters, and something of their relationship with each other. The
interplay between the characters is as important as the characters themselves.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> How
did you learn to write suspenseful thrillers?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b>
By writing and writing and writing. I think the more you write, the more
you learn, and the better you write. Also I enjoy reading suspense novels;
especially if they are set in New York City, such as Lawrence Sanders’ “Deadly
Sin” series, published in the seventies. New York is a great place to set a
novel.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> What
key things make your thrillers work?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> I
would like to think they work because of the characters. They have to be real
enough for the reader to identify with them and on a certain level feel what
they are feeling and share in their experience.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">"As a writer you're getting
inside the skin of your character in your book in the same way an actor gets
inside the skin of a character he plays on stage."-- John Lutz</b></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> What
was the hardest part of writing thrillers and suspense?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b>
It’s more difficult and time consuming to write a long, multiple
viewpoint novel than to write a linear detective novel or conventional
whodunit. There are more plates to keep spinning.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> You
are currently writing about serial killers. When you write their scenes,
do you ever scare yourself?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL: </b>Nope.
I’m too wrapped up in technique, and wondering if what I’m doing is working, to
feel what I hope the reader will feel. It’s gratifying to receive e-mails from
women thanking me for having scared them. Makes me think I’m on the right
track.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> How do
you sharpen your suspenseful scenes and when do you know, as the writer, that
you have it the way you want it?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> When I
believe I’ve revised enough, I set aside what I’ve written and come back to it
later with a fresh perspective. If it still feels to me that I’ve nailed a
scene or story, I’m satisfied.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> What
themes in your fiction writing seem to drive you the most?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> I like
my fiction to convey the notion that there are patterns and real cause
and effect in life (which is for the most part pretty random) and that
once we discern what’s happening, we have the ability to cope with it, or at
least learn to accept it.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="color: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> Do you
work on multiple novels at once? If so, how many? </div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkb5ihvOl_lWUrkF_CXOXCoqn_GULlKtYwhi5ozmAUXrYX7IlfWgzZmq8HaUkKdy8NbGKMdegJFD017Tlx2L3KHr2CEgouFfQCW50dnKd98LMIXnYJh9YAgzZ22C0MBFOclXj-tknBvTNa/s1600/John+Lutz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkb5ihvOl_lWUrkF_CXOXCoqn_GULlKtYwhi5ozmAUXrYX7IlfWgzZmq8HaUkKdy8NbGKMdegJFD017Tlx2L3KHr2CEgouFfQCW50dnKd98LMIXnYJh9YAgzZ22C0MBFOclXj-tknBvTNa/s320/John+Lutz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> I take
it one book at a time, though if I’m between phases, such as a finished first
draft, or a second, I might work on another project. I’m probably giving the
impression that I revise a lot. I do. </div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> How
easy was it to take the leap of faith to become a serious writer and chase this
career? What did you find that you had to do to take the step?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b>
When I received a surprisingly large advance for a novel, it became
apparent to me that this was my most marketable skill. I knew I could combine
what I very much enjoyed doing (writing) with obtaining what I very much needed
(money). A liberating moment.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> In
years past, new writers would battle their way in the pulp magazines to build their
readerships and their careers. Do you think that is still the case in the
explosion of electronic readers, blogs, e-zines, and other like media? Who do
you see as the current gatekeeper of the good writers and those who are still
developing?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> A comprehensive
answer would take several pages, and then it might be far wrong. Maybe the most
interesting thing about book-biz these days is that no one knows for sure where
it is headed. Where we’ve been, and where we are, might be much different from
where we’re going. There seems to be no gatekeeper, and the gate is wide open.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> When
you plot your novels, from whose point of view do you plot from? The
protagonist’s? The antagonist’s? The narrator’s? Some one else?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> In a
thriller I write from several alternating points of view. I also like to
write more linear PI novels from the protagonist’s POV, and in third person.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> Arthur
C. Clarke once wrote that when science catches up with the science fiction
writer, the science fiction writer needs to make a leap forward. With
fictional shows like CSI and reality TV shows like Killer Instinct, do you feel
that you have had to take a leap forward as a thriller writer to stay atop of
the changes in the science of criminal investigation? How do you stay ahead of
the game?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b>
Definitely we have to leap, or at least crawl, forward to keep up. DNA alone
has forced many changes. Cell phones mean everyone can be in touch with
everyone else. The Internet provides information it took fictional detectives
not so long ago weeks (or chapters) to obtain. The more sophisticated cell
phones become, the more we crime writers have to adapt, because almost everyone
now has a cell phone, which is also a camera, which is also a GPS system, which
is also a research library, which is also a newspaper morgue, which is also a
recorder, which is also…</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> What
novels, books, articles, magazines or other media most useful when you are
researching serial killers and criminal investigation?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b>
See above. Google is probably my main source of research material.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> You
are a master and a legend in the genres of suspense and mystery. What was
your biggest fear when you decided to first be published as a novelist?
Do you still have those fears with each new book or are there other fears that
come up?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL:</b> Like
most of the writers I knew when I was starting out, my biggest fear was that I
wouldn’t sell enough copies to prompt the sale of another book. Fewer fears
now. I’m more confident that if I take the time and trouble to revise, I can
make whatever it is I’m writing work, Unlike many writers, I really do enjoy
revising, so that’s not much of a problem. It’s meticulous work, but it’s what
lends the fiction life. To paraphrase Mark Twain: “The difference
between the adequate word and the precise word is the difference between the
lightning bug and the lightning.”</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> What
is your writing schedule like?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL: </b>I
usually work in the morning, then after lunch revise what I’ve written.
In both morning and afternoon, before starting to work I check e-mail,
Facebook, Twitter, to make sure nothing requires immediate attention.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> If you
could have coffee (or drink of your choice) with four other authors from any
time period, who would you choose and why?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL: </b>Shakespeare,
to see if I could get an honest answer out of him.; H.H. Munro (Saki) to see if
I could figure out how he did what no one else has been able to do; Joseph
Conrad, to see if he talks as rhythmically as he writes; Edgar Allan Poe, to
see if I could cheer him up.</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>DL:</b> How
could my readers learn more about you?</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<b>JL: </b>They
could visit my Facebook author page, Twitter, or my website, <a href="http://www.johnlutzonline.com/">http://www.johnlutzonline.com</a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
Here are some additional videos on YouTube about
John Lutz and his stories:</div>
<div style="color: white;">
Meet John Lutz: <a href="http://youtu.be/aOsTgiwxUMM">http://youtu.be/aOsTgiwxUMM</a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
John Lutz: The World of Frank Quinn: <a href="http://youtu.be/ZrH6MlWQaek">http://youtu.be/ZrH6MlWQaek</a></div>
<div style="color: white;">
How do you win a free copy of
this book? <b>To enter the contest, simply leave a comment or question on
Coffee with David blog between now (July 14th) and midnight July 20th, 2012.</b>
Please include your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you
leave, the greater your chance of winning the contest.<i> If you refer others
to Coffee with David </i>who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter
your name again in our random number generator along with theirs, also
increasing your chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on
Friday, July 20th and the announcement made on Saturday, July 21st. Good luck
and comment often. </div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
Thank you for reading and please
visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-60456599308862255452012-07-07T02:00:00.000-07:002012-07-07T02:00:06.414-07:00This Week's Book Giveaway: Hitchcock on Hitchcock<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNJe60QwwXzeOyZ56kKPRe9_hOSx5epXAcuO21KKwfVEfWWG9plC_cUZEEqGX1ZGS51DyyhwL9yTah3PBIjOYRVNnAXSxz-AhpZGiZ32U-V6WMrg2cgjj0oYxPVP4on_LRnZkrjpcELXf/s1600/Hitch+on+Hitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNJe60QwwXzeOyZ56kKPRe9_hOSx5epXAcuO21KKwfVEfWWG9plC_cUZEEqGX1ZGS51DyyhwL9yTah3PBIjOYRVNnAXSxz-AhpZGiZ32U-V6WMrg2cgjj0oYxPVP4on_LRnZkrjpcELXf/s1600/Hitch+on+Hitch.jpg" /></a></div>
This week, in the spirit of the series I have been writing on The Writers'
Lens (How to Write Hitchcockian), I am reposting the giveaway of an entire book
of interviews with and essays by the Master of Suspense himself. This book is
one of my key resources when I want to dive into the mind of the Master. Sadly the winner never claimed their prize.<br />
<br />
The following is from Barnes and Noble: "Gathered here for the first
time are Alfred Hitchcock's reflections on his own life and work. In this ample
selection of largely unknown and formerly inaccessible interviews and essays,
Hitchcock provides an enlivening commentary on a career that spanned decades
and transformed the history of the cinema. Bringing the same exuberance and
originality to his writing as he did to his films, he ranges from accounts of
his own life and experiences to techniques of film making and ideas about
cinema in general. Wry, thoughtful, witty, and humorous--as well as brilliantly
informative--this selection reveals another side of the most renowned filmmaker
of our time.<br />
<br />
"Sidney Gottlieb not only presents some of Hitchcock's most important
pieces, but also places them in their historical context and in the context of
Hitchcock's development as a director. He reflects on Hitchcock's complicated,
often troubled, and continually evolving relationship toward women, both on and
off the set. Some of the topics Hitchcock touches upon are the differences
between English and American attitudes toward murder, the importance of comedy
in film, and the uses and techniques of lighting. There are also many anecdotes
of life among the stars, reminiscences from the sets of some of the most
successful and innovative films of this century, and incisive insights into
working method, film history, and the role of film in society.<br />
<br />
"Unlike some of the complex critical commentary that has emerged on his
life and work, the director's own writing style is refreshingly straightforward
and accessible. Throughout the collection, Hitchcock reveals a delight and
curiosity about his medium that bring all his subjects to life."<br />
<br />
How do you win a free copy of
this book? <b>To enter the contest, simply leave a comment or question on Coffee with David blog between now (July 7th) and midnight July 13th, 2012.</b>
Please include your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you
leave, the greater your chance of winning the contest.<i> If you refer others
to Coffee with David </i>who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter
your name again in our random number generator along with theirs, also
increasing your chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on
Friday, July 13th and the announcement made on Saturday, July 14th. Good luck
and comment often. <br />
<br />
Thank you for reading and please
visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-46242268607806981172012-07-03T02:00:00.000-07:002012-07-03T02:00:00.954-07:00A Change Up on Coffee With David<div style="color: white;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally after
Hurricane May and June at my bill paying job, I can finally get this blog back
on track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this month is going
to be a little bit different. If you have been following me posts, you know
that I conduct book giveaways on my own blog Coffee With David (http://davidalanlucas.blogspot.com/)
and The Writers' Lens (www.thewriterslens.com). Surprisingly, even though people comment, they don't
always claim their prize. Because of this, I will be posting the book giveaways
and any interviews where this occurred over on the other site. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Beginning July 7,
each week you will have a chance to win a book if you comment. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, I know I
promised last month to delve into the various kinds of training that a trained
fighter could master and what those disciplines entailed. However, one of your
fellow readers posted a question and I am going to tackle that answer in this
month's "Writing the Fight Scene." It will endeavor to answer the
question, "Can a Woman Take on a Man in a Fight and Win?" I must warn
my readers that:</span></div>
<ol style="color: white;">
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It will be
lengthy;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It will be
violent;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It will be
answered frankly and honestly as this Sandan (3rd Degree Black Belt) in Chinese
(or Tracy's or Original) Kenpo sees it based on both personal experience and
those he has had the honor of calling sisters in the brotherhood of black
belts; and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you harbor a false male ego that men are superior fighters because they are
physically stronger, your ego will be shattered like a porcelain doll---a very
girly porcelain doll. </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Oh...and I will share quite a bit of the how-to-do its.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Won't you join me?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A final note to all my
readers--those that comment and those that just read silently-- from around the
world, I would like to thank you and ask that you do post questions. The blog
is as much my readers' as it is mine. Feel free to ask questions and I will be
happy to either answer the comment with a response or an entire blog.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Thank
you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>. You can also follow me
on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens. Fiction is
the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the
human condition as he chooses.</span></div>
<span style="color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-52731478900254027942012-07-02T16:29:00.001-07:002012-07-02T16:29:36.023-07:00The winner of Coveted is . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHVAKAYgZb70qEy_HkZxVZ-fsc4IiMkUzzKcCgR97xtbEtQl5hawRGAadtQRgQutv_rIjBUnsw4RWUTO0VNDK9jAVD3yLt4caEoAbonD1prOWhSSvwEIgvpSoPh5mqR78TxtRu5n047WN/s1600/Coveted.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHVAKAYgZb70qEy_HkZxVZ-fsc4IiMkUzzKcCgR97xtbEtQl5hawRGAadtQRgQutv_rIjBUnsw4RWUTO0VNDK9jAVD3yLt4caEoAbonD1prOWhSSvwEIgvpSoPh5mqR78TxtRu5n047WN/s320/Coveted.JPG" width="192" /></a></div>
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The winner of <u>Coveted</u>, by Shawntelle Madison is
Cheryl Malone. Congratulations. Please send me an email at David@DavidAlanLucas
with an address that I can FedEx your book to.</div>
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Thank you for reading and please
visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/" style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a> and
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com" style="color: blue;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a><span style="color: blue;">.
</span>You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-20406026436955093552012-06-16T20:40:00.000-07:002012-06-16T20:40:31.942-07:00A Writer with a Learning Disability in Written Expression<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<h3>
</h3>
Writing can be very difficult for many who do not have a specific learning
disability (SLD) in written expression or reading. When you do have one, it
makes the climb all the more difficult. I understand that I am a statistical
anomaly, as most with this SLD would rather avoid the pain than struggle for
something that they can love. So how do I it?<br />
<br />
Here is what I have learned from the good teachers, the bad ones, and the
ones that almost destroyed me. Here is what I have learned from watching my
parents sacrifice to get me the help I needed to be able to learn and achieve.
Here is what I have learned by crawling this long trail every day.<br />
<br />
<b>1. </b><b>Have faith in yourself. </b><br />
<br />
Many people in this world get more out of destruction than they do from
creation. With an SLD, you are vulnerable to others’ reactions to this
condition. Speaking for myself, I have often felt shame when I looked at my
handwriting, spelling and organizational skills. I have run the emotional
gauntlet that a lot of us with SLD run. I will not go into that gauntlet here.<br />
<br />
The one thing that I have let my SLD stop me from is something most normal
people take for granted. I do not write holiday cards or notes to people in
general. I hide behind electronic communication. The reason I do this is: 1.
they can read it; and 2. they cannot judge me by my handwriting or lack of
spelling. I will discuss how I work around the spelling problem in a few
moments.<br />
<br />
Confounding my diagnosis of SLD, I was also diagnosed with ADHD. I often do
not invite people over to my home because of the organizational skill issue. My
difficulty with organizational skills is a primary result of my ADHD. I am very
well organized for me. However, I have seen in the faces of friends their
expressions when they see my clutter. To them I can only say, it is the way my
mind works. A boss once told me “I would be worried about where things were on
your desk if I didn’t know I could ask you for something and you would know
exactly where it was .”<br />
<br />
When I have felt at my lowest or like I cannot achieve, I have always
repeated a saying that was on a plaque that my step-grandmother gave to my
father and that I “stole” as a child and have hanging on my wall even today:
“Don’t worry if you work hard and your rewards are few. Remember! The mighty
oak was once a nut like you.”<br />
<br />
After I laugh at this, I then reflect that I must be a nut. I punch and kick
against the very obstacle that will never go away in order to chase my dreams.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Keep the people who believe that you can achieve close to you. </b><br />
<br />
I have crossed the paths of many people in my life who do not understand
SLD. Sadly, many of these people have been teachers. I wish I could say that
the teachers and symptoms of misunderstanding was a thing of the dim ages when
the understandings of SLDs were first coming out. However, I cannot. I can,
with great joy, say that there are a lot more teachers who have some
understanding and are trying new things to help.<br />
<br />
It is not that we cannot learn something. It is that we learn differently.
We have such a range of abilities that you have to give the “normal people” a
little slack. (For you normal people who are reading this, let me try to help
you understand what I mean. All those who have an SLD, pardon me for just a
second. Here is an example. Imagine a fourteen-year-old child entering High
School. Now imagine that he has the handwriting skills of a fourth grader and
the spelling abilities of a sixth grader. Do you have that image in your head?
Now, for the kicker: he has the math skills and the understanding of science
and history of someone in college. He also has the reading comprehension of a
person who should have their PhD. This is what I mean. In case someone thinks I
created this fictional person as an example—it was me at age fourteen.)<br />
<br />
Ok, back to you SLD friends and those who might be reading this blog to see
what they can do to help. I mentioned that I ran into some horrible teachers. I
did and I can write pages about what they did. I won’t. It is the teachers and
the others I have met in my life who have been the cheerleaders that are and
must be the most important. They have faith in you when you do not have faith
in yourself. Hang on to them. Stay in contact if you can and when you are
feeling down, turn to them AND LISTEN.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Never stop working at it</b><br />
<br />
People often comment on how I have so many facts in my head or that I never
accept where I am, but push myself too hard. What they may not realize and I will
admit now is that for me, that is survival. I never stop learning and I never
stop finding ways to keep myself improving. I do not limit this to trying to
improve my handwriting, spelling, and writing in general. This is also applied
to my study of martial arts—which sometimes means I am doing things on injuries
that I shouldn’t—or to my personal development in other areas that I am already
good at.<br />
<br />
Many people become “life-long learners” because they like learning. Don’t
let anyone take away your desire to explore and to learn. Don’t let the drug
dealers and gangs hook you because you feel like an outsider or cannot be
successful. Don’t let the bad teachers keep you down. For you and for me,
“life-long learning” is a survival trait.<br />
<br />
Let me tie this to point number 1. Take the following words out of any
personal philosophy you may have: surrender and retreat. You cannot afford
them. You can never surrender, never retreat, never give up, never stop trying
to improve yourself. If you do, those who want to pigeon hole you into a role
less than you are will succeed. Further, if you don’t have one, get a library
card and use it until it falls apart and then get another and another and so
on.<br />
<br />
If you don’t like learning, it is how you have been trying to learn. Don’t
stop trying other ways.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Understand that the problem will always be with you and show up when you
don’t want it to. Learn to work around it.</b><br />
<br />
I have an uncle who was a great teacher. However, several years ago he and I
had a discussion on SLD and Attention Deficit. He said that we grow out of the
problems. I wish that was true.<br />
<br />
The truth of the myth is that we learn to adapt. What personally annoys me
with my SLD—ok, one of the many things that annoy me—is that I can spell a word
a thousand times, and then I can’t spell it again. It is often an easy word. I
look at my SLD like an annoying cough. It pops up when you do not want it to.
In some cases there is nothing you can do about it (for example: if you are
taking a test). In everyday life have your methods and tools to get around
these times at your fingertips.<br />
<br />
What methods and tools am I talking about? Keep reading.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Make your best friend the Thesaurus</b><br />
<br />
Unfortunately, schools teach how to use the dictionary before they teach the
thesaurus. Yet, I do not know how it could be taught any other way. I have
learned that with my spelling problem I can recognize the word when I see it
(thus the high reading ability) but I cannot spell it worth a darn. I can turn
to a good thesaurus and find what I am looking for by looking up a word that
has a similar meaning.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Make your second best friend the Dictionary</b><br />
<br />
If the thesaurus fails you, turn to the dictionary. Finding words you are
having trouble spelling are harder this way, because you need a sense of how to
spell those words. If you are not too far “off the mark”, it can be a quick
hunt. For myself, I can be way off the mark and the hunt can be VERY time
consuming.<br />
<br />
<b>7. Find a way to taste success and hunger for more</b><br />
<br />
One thing you need to do is find a way to be successful at something. For me
I tasted success through the Boy Scouts and through Karate. From these two
things, I learned what I needed mentally to keep myself going and to keep at
it. I graduated from High School, college and even obtained a Master’s degree.
(Not bad for someone who was told by the horrible teachers he should drop out
of middle school and high school.) I had some great leaders in scouts who kept
me going and pushed me to Eagle. If I had not reached my Eagle Scout rank
before I was fourteen I do not know if I would have had the same hunger to
prove myself as I went though High School and college.<br />
<br />
<b>8. Use a computer</b><br />
<br />
You are living in a great age for those with SLD. Because of my handwriting,
I started to learn to type on an old manual typewriter when I was in first
grade. That was the first intervention that I had, and it was before I was
diagnosed with my SLD. Obviously, it did not have spell check, grammar check or
allow me to move paragraphs from one place to another.<br />
<br />
The computer word processing programs today do. Use them! A note of caution:
Use them, but do not rely on them 100%. They do make mistakes. Always trust the
thesaurus, the dictionary, and a good book on grammar.<br />
<br />
<b>9. See if your symptoms go beyond just the academics</b><br />
<br />
I am not sure if the physical aspects of my SLD are the same or similar to
others. However, when I was diagnosed with my SLD, I
also had many problems with balance and hand-eye coordination issues. If you
have a SLD or your child does, I would recommend checking to see if there is
anything beyond the classroom that needs to be assessed. This can be done by
asking for a referral for an Occupational Therapy (for the hand-eye
coordination and fine motor skills) and/or Physical Therapy (poor coordination)
evaluation .<br />
<br />
Now, an example of how these “beyond the academics” issues applied in the
classroom: Part of my difficulty was that I could not transfer information from
the blackboard to my paper. I could read the blackboard. I could read my
notepaper. I simply could not take down the notes from the board to my paper.
What did I do? Follow me for one more step.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Find the things that can help you improve </b><br />
<br />
I had to have quite a few interventions and I still use many of them. I do
not know if all those with reading or written expression LDs have these issues,
but just in case here are some things that help me.<br />
<br />
A. You need emotional support from family and close friends who try to
understand what you are going through;<br />
B. A thesaurus;<br />
C. A dictionary;<br />
D. A book on grammar;<br />
E. If you want to write like I do, find friends who are good editors. Use
them, listen to them, and appreciate them—and make sure they know you do;<br />
F. Summer school is a good thing, not a bad thing—do it even if you do not
need it, it will help; <br />
G. Outside tutors - I would recommend getting someone who can work with your
SLD;<br />
H. Constantly work on improving yourself (don’t just focus on the areas of
your SLD, but work on those harder);<br />
I. A blackboard and mechanical chalk holder to practice handwriting;<br />
J. A balance beam; <br />
K. A balance board;<br />
L. A laptop or desktop computer with a good word processor on it (and keep
the spell check and grammar check on—but remember it does not catch
everything);<br />
M. Pen or pencil grips (I wish I knew what they were called, but they look
like little pyramids );<br />
N. Some type of desk or way to slant any writing surface you need so that it
is at a comfortable slope (Flat desks hinder my handwriting);<br />
O. Read and read and read some more (if reading is your SLD—Audio books are
great! I use them and I love to read. At worse, get a book and read along as
best as you can with the audio book, even if you can’t get very far. You will
still get the book through the audio book. Oh, one note: Try to get the
unabridged versions of audio books);<br />
P. Never give up on yourself (I know how hard that can be—all too well);<br />
Q. Play video games daily (but not into excess of homework, exercise, and living life) to
develop hand-eye coordination (I had to do a half hour a day minimum);<br />
R. Get involved in a sport like karate, fencing, boxing and so forth were
you can develop on your own at your own speed and improve your hand-eye
coordination; <br />
S. Get into something where you can be successful (for me that was Boy
Scouts and karate. For you it may be something else) and can take that success
to other parts of your life;<br />
T. In school, you will have to take a foreign language. I learned in college
that I was a lot better at the non-European languages (especially in
writing—what little I can write in Chinese or Japanese is a lot easier to read
than what I hand write in English) than I was at the European. You may want to
explore it and see how you do;<br />
U. Finally, never allow someone to put you down for your SLD.<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading, even if you do not have a SLD in written expression
or reading. If you do or if someone special to you does, I hope this was helpful. I may have a SLD in written expression, but I refuse to let it put a collar
and chain on my muse. I will keep up my battle in order to do what I dream.
Won’t you join me?<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a> and <a href=""><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>.
Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to
explore the human condition as he chooses.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-14597556154003859072012-06-09T14:13:00.000-07:002012-06-09T14:13:13.626-07:00Writing the Fight Scene Part 5 (Understanding the Trained Fighter Part 4)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The final
type of fighter we will explore is the "gym fighter." By this term I
am lumping in all the boxing gyms, the studios, the dojos, and any other type
of fight training school that lasts for more than a few months of training.
Generally speaking, no matter the style, the gym fighter is a man or a woman
who may have started to train to fight for self-defense, to get off the street,
or because of the exercise and eye-hand coordination. Whatever their reason,
they trained and trained and may have even competed. They went past the level
of training someone who would have taken the training for standard self-defense
would have gone and have moved in to that insane level of perfecting their
ability and knowledge. These people have chosen the narrow, rocky, and
demanding road called "the warriors' path."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you think
I am trying to make these people (and myself) out to be something beyond
normal, let me use a cliché: Someone enters a karate school to check it out.
They ask the head instructor, "How long does it take a normal person to
become a Black Belt." The instructor answers, "Normal people do not
make it to Black Belt." The same adage could be said with boxers, fencers,
and all other trained fighters who have spent years and continue to train every
day. We are not super human or anything. What gives us our edge in a fight
(especially, if we train in street fighting or other combat outside of the
sport ring) are:</span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Endurance
Training</u>--we are trained to make it through several rounds thinking, fighting,
talking, and breathing. Each round can last roughly two minutes (depending on
the style). Ask a normal person to do jumping jacks and hold a conversation for
two minutes--watch the results.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Strategy
training</u>--Because we constantly train and face a new fight every time (even if
it is someone we faced before), we are forced to adapt and change our approach.
We are forced to think moves ahead--like a chess master must think far ahead in
the game to win.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Hours of
simulation</u>-- In the military and within the police, they spend hours simulating
and training for possible events. Fighter pilots spend time fighting in dogfights
in simulators as well as flying. Cops spend time on shooting grounds that have
"civilian and bad guy" targets to learn not to shoot the wrong one.
Gym fighters have the ring. We will face more hand-to-hand combat situations in
one hour of training than a normal untrained fighter will see in their lifetimes.
Not only does this improve our endurance and strategy training, but it also
improves our ability to read the opponent like a poker player watching for
"the tell" in his opponent. It improves our dexterity and reaction
time. Because we can read the other person, see their tell and predict what is
about to happen, it makes us look faster than we really are. The reason is our
time to react is extended because we know what you plan to do.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In my next
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and then will eventually go into weapons use, disarmament, and the psyche
behind the fighter.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>. Fiction is the world
where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human
condition as he chooses.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-50681494211758828752012-06-03T17:00:00.000-07:002012-06-03T17:02:17.198-07:00Having Coffee with Shawntelle Madison, Author of Coveted<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This month, I am having coffee with Shawntelle
Madison. Shawntelle is a debut novelist. I met her at Archon in St. Louis soon
after she received word that her first book was going to be published. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Please grab a cup of coffee, or drink of your
choice, and join me for a Coffee with David author interview.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">David
Alan Lucas:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> With so many books on vampires, what
attracted you to choose to write an Urban Fantasy about a werewolf? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mxUZo424Kg0xrFGfFJpR6zxXfIIUF2ETB2oXyc0WB-pHigHJUUMG1KjPk2lzjuO3lXhHkFy-oOZp6FQ0cGteNYh_dMNh0thnt7BH1s893qLtreTdvPjKM0QK6IiEu_v8oT9BITZIlDs6/s1600/shawntellemadison_authorphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mxUZo424Kg0xrFGfFJpR6zxXfIIUF2ETB2oXyc0WB-pHigHJUUMG1KjPk2lzjuO3lXhHkFy-oOZp6FQ0cGteNYh_dMNh0thnt7BH1s893qLtreTdvPjKM0QK6IiEu_v8oT9BITZIlDs6/s320/shawntellemadison_authorphoto.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Shawntelle
Madison:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Once I had
the idea for <u>Coveted</u>, I actually made a personal decision to exclude
vampires from the universe of my book. Not that I don’t like vampires, I just
wanted my book to be different from the rest of the pack. Pun intended. ;)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, I just felt the book worked better with an OCD
werewolf.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
When you are starting to work on a new novel, what do you find brings the story
into focus for you? A Character? A setting? Something else?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
For me all stories start with a character. The reader needs to be hopefully
interested in their journey. Once in a while, an event is where I start, but
character comes first the majority of the time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How
did you develop the voice used in <u>Coveted</u>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Of all the books I’ve written, Nat’s voice is
one I slipped into the easiest. Who hasn’t felt like the underdog? The one who
is bullied and cast out? I just dug in deep and wrote how I felt. The book just
flowed out from there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
was the hardest part of writing <u>Coveted</u>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
The hardest part of writing the book was
the feelings it brought up. Who doesn’t want to feel left out or abandoned?
They are quite painful. In order to convey my heroine’s true feelings, I had to
feel the same emotions—which meant a lot of crying while writing. ;)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
themes in your fiction writing seem to drive you the most?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
For me, I love writing about characters
who overcome adversity. I love when a character is beat down, but they are
driven to stand up and do the right thing for the people they love.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
you work on multiple novels at once? If so, how many?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I’ve tried working on multiple books at once,
and I can, but I prefer to be deep in one person’s head. So I’d say I spend the
majority of the time writing one book at a time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
do you find focuses your writing?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
I get distracted very easily. I focus best when I’m at the library with some
good music. If I write at home and I need to focus I use Write or Die. It has
forced me to focus so many times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How
easy was it to take the leap of faith to become a serious writer and chase this
career? What did you find that you had to do to take the step?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> I actually found it quite easy to take that
step. I knew I wanted to write books. I was hungry to write and that was all I
needed to take the process seriously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
was your biggest fear when you decided to be published?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
My biggest fear is uncertainty. (This
comes from someone who tries to keep track of everything and schedule stuff.)
You just never know what will come at you and when it will come. I got no
warning from my agent when he called to offer rep. And I was actually in the
middle of a phone call with my crit partner when my agent called me with an
offer from my publisher for <u>Coveted</u>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Who
was the most influential person or persons in your writing career?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
I’d say the most influential persons
would be my first critique partner, Sarah Bromley and one of my favorite
science fiction authors , Octavia Butler. Sarah has been with me since the
beginning and has really helped me learn the craft. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If
there was some advice that you could give to a fellow writer, what would it be?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Never give up that hunger to write and to be
published. Whenever I finished a book, I immediately started thinking about the
next project. (I’m still that way.) It’s way too easy to give up these days.
When people say it’s easier to edit a finished page instead of a blank one,
they’re not kidding!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
advice would you give a fellow writer about pitching a story either face to
face or in a query letter?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Starting working on your pitch as soon as
possible before you actually need to give it. Try to whittle your pitch down to
a few sentences or even one if possible. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When it comes to query letters I highly suggest you
check literary agency websites for samples. There are many on the internet to
give you great ideas. Also, don’t be afraid to ask crit partners or critique
groups for feedback on your query. You’d be surprised what your own eyes miss.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When
you plot your novels, from whose point of view do you plot from? The
protagonist’s? The antagonist’s? The narrator’s? Someone else?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
Since I write first person I plot primarily from the protagonist.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What
is your writing schedule like?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
You mean people have one? Just kidding. I’m one of those writers who doesn’t
write every day—unless I am on deadline. I tend to write in bursts like a
sprinter. I will go crazy and write thousands of words per day for weeks, then
rest for a few weeks to months. Most books take me four to five months to
write.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you could have coffee (or drink of your choice) with four other authors from
any time period, who would you choose and why?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
I’d have coffee with Octavia Butler, Clive Barker, Stephen King, and Dean
Koontz. I have so many other authors, but I think I’d enjoy lunch with them
first. :)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">DAL:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How
could my readers learn more about you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">SM:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you’d like to connect with me, you can find me on Twitter as Shawntelle, on
Facebook and through my website. I also do blog posts on Wicked Authors
(Mondays) and Magic & Mayhem Writers (Wednesdays).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHVAKAYgZb70qEy_HkZxVZ-fsc4IiMkUzzKcCgR97xtbEtQl5hawRGAadtQRgQutv_rIjBUnsw4RWUTO0VNDK9jAVD3yLt4caEoAbonD1prOWhSSvwEIgvpSoPh5mqR78TxtRu5n047WN/s1600/Coveted.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHVAKAYgZb70qEy_HkZxVZ-fsc4IiMkUzzKcCgR97xtbEtQl5hawRGAadtQRgQutv_rIjBUnsw4RWUTO0VNDK9jAVD3yLt4caEoAbonD1prOWhSSvwEIgvpSoPh5mqR78TxtRu5n047WN/s320/Coveted.JPG" width="192" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To win a free copy of <u>Coveted</u>, please see: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First of the Month Book Giveaway: Coveted</b>
http://davidalanlucas.blogspot.com/2012/06/first-of-month-book-giveaway-coveted.html</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you
for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com"><span style="color: blue;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-82614117576897369152012-06-03T16:41:00.001-07:002012-06-03T16:41:31.702-07:00First of the Month Book Giveaway: Coveted<div style="color: white;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This month, it is
my pleasure to bring you another debut author, Shawntelle Madison by giving
away her novel Coveted. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">From Barnes and
Noble: " “A smart, sexy, rip-roaring good time.”—<i>New York Times</i>
bestselling author Angie Fox</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_3_0_1_1338766507257_2833" style="color: white;">
<b id="yui_3_3_0_1_1338766507257_2897"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’m
obsessed with Shawntelle Madison’s fantastic urban fantasy debut, featuring
hoarding werewolves, magic, and mayhem! More, please!”—Michelle Rowen,
bestselling author of <i>That Old Black Magic</i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b> </b><br />
SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary.
What <i id="yui_3_3_0_1_1338766507257_2834">does</i> seem strange is that she’s
stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack,
selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her
split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place:
her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up
faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home—and the two discover that the
spark between them remains intense.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and
dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island
werewolves—and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome
wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted,
and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it’s
enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full
moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately,
herself.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" id="yui_3_3_0_1_1338766507257_2900" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“If you like your urban fantasy original, quirky, and
offbeat, this is the series for you. Natalya is the craziest heroine since
Carolyn Crane’s Justine Jones, and you will love her just as much.”—Ann
Aguirre, bestselling author of <i>Devil’s Punch"</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How do you win a free copy of this book? <b>To
enter the contest, simply leave a comment or question on the Coffee with David
blog between now (June 3, 2012) and midnight June 30 2012.</b> Please include
your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you leave, the
greater your chance of winning the contest.<i> If you refer others to Coffee
with David </i>who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter your name
again in our random number generator along with theirs, also increasing your
chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on Saturday, June
30th and the announcement made on Sunday, July 1. Good luck and comment often. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/">www.davidalanlucas.com</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com">www.thewriterslens.com</a>. You can also follow me
on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens. Fiction is
the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the
human condition as he chooses.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-69169533262774025042012-06-03T16:28:00.000-07:002012-06-03T16:28:46.888-07:00The winner of Katana is . . .My apologies for the late announcement. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPyVCtk4PBkjMurg_AUZDDsr5GHnmdUUXcqjhLMmQgHMQ1yEuSTupdy-ligGh8kumVydTy4jeQyZfIanN3ck3lB2SsrO1Rm_PYDhva7th-gz9PgYp9sYcPe_7DSo_8dvZggAXUGhvbuAJ/s1600/katana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPyVCtk4PBkjMurg_AUZDDsr5GHnmdUUXcqjhLMmQgHMQ1yEuSTupdy-ligGh8kumVydTy4jeQyZfIanN3ck3lB2SsrO1Rm_PYDhva7th-gz9PgYp9sYcPe_7DSo_8dvZggAXUGhvbuAJ/s320/katana.JPG" width="207" /></a></div>
The winner of Katana by Cole Gibson is: Reading Mind. Congrats! Please email me at David@DavidAlanLucas with your shipping address and I will get this book out to you by FedEx.<br />
<br />
Thank you everyone for your comments!<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thank you
for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com"><span style="color: blue;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-63464278065145586372012-05-31T18:36:00.000-07:002012-05-31T18:36:28.939-07:00An Apology: May is Always the Month of Juggling Hell<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This blog has been silent the last two weeks. While
I juggle a lot in my life: a full time bill paying job, caring for an elderly
parent, writing, studying martial arts and my role as an officer in the St.
Louis Writers Guild, May is the month when things have always gone boom. That
is because it is one of the highest pressure and busiest times at the bill pay
job and it is membership renewal for the St. Louis Writers Guild (which falls
to me as the VP of Membership). But, let me take a step back.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgK4T0WO7Y3p5ekH5zWmUDfWo86zMdmUEmajmhlQxX9dQlaF-kAD9K1jA0SyHUDga_fwOlyLutWZkfKG04T_afh6SCcxTzraJWrr9P0sgxGBY7hTMebugrC-09RFLlhWF64TrVO87e-jD/s1600/Juggle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNgK4T0WO7Y3p5ekH5zWmUDfWo86zMdmUEmajmhlQxX9dQlaF-kAD9K1jA0SyHUDga_fwOlyLutWZkfKG04T_afh6SCcxTzraJWrr9P0sgxGBY7hTMebugrC-09RFLlhWF64TrVO87e-jD/s1600/Juggle.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I use to be able to say that I had two full time
jobs and two part time jobs--only one of which actually pays me anything. But,
a year ago tomorrow life took a drastic turn. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary
of my mother's health going downhill like an out of control speed skier who hit
a mogul wrong at sixty miles per hour. In short--she had a severe hypoglycemic
moment that led to two fractures in a leg (which went undetected by a certain
hospital in St. Louis, but I won't mention them here--nor would I ever take
anyone there), infections that eventually (because of antibiotics) led to
C-Diff, compression fractures on her spine, having to relearn to walk. She has
made remarkable progress having gone from 10 baby steps in August and being
wheelchair bound to being able to walk everywhere (with a walker) and starting
to drive again. I am the only child, so everything fell on to me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once she was discharged to home, I was living on
sleep deprivation as I had to tend to every need. It was like having a 160
pound baby. Before anyone asks--no, insurance nor Medicare pays for custodial
care. It fell to me--all of it. I did have to hire someone to care for her
during the day while I was at work, but I was pretty much a prisoner at home.
Unfortunately, home is the worst writing environment for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, she has no appreciation for writing. She
actually doesn't read, except the newspaper, and considers writing to be frivolous.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During this time, my bill pay job became (and still
is) overwhelmingly demanding. I can't go into things here. I will say I am
surprised I didn't have a heart attack while I have been under constant stress
for over two years--and was having to pull off the high stress job while
sitting in the hospital rooms while she was recovering. Thus my two full time
jobs became three and one of those was really at least two jobs in itself.
(More like 6, but who's counting?)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, this May, while I am now able to get back to a
semi-normal life because she has improved so much, I was not prepared for the
how this month would go and how much of my time would be drained away. On top
of everything, I have been working on a new novel and was researching it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, my Coffee with David blog had to
take a back seat in the bus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am hoping
June will be a better month. Tomorrow I will be announcing the winner of the
book <u>Katana</u> and posting a new contest.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I will see you all here tomorrow for a new month on
Coffee with David.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thank you
for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com"><span style="color: blue;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-12591887390185422802012-05-12T09:29:00.001-07:002012-05-12T09:29:36.522-07:00Writing the Fight Scene Part 4 (Understanding the Trained Fighter Part 3)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">How do the
trained military fight? Like Law Enforcement, the fighting styles of the
military vary with time and nationality. If you have a character that you are
writing about that is in a particular branch of the military, or in a certain
nation, or in a different time period than modern day, I would highly recommend
that you conduct careful research into the martial art style that was or is
used. For the purposes of this entry, I am going to exam the United States
military of modern day. Again, before I start, I remind my readers that I am
"painting" with a broad brush. Individuals may vary from what I
describe below.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The military
personal of the United States is (one of--to avoid arguments) the best trained
standing forces of the modern world. With that said, most hand to hand combat
training that the average soldier or sailor is given is limited. Depending on
the Military Occupation the soldier or sailor, they may have had only a few
days of hand-to-hand combat training. As I described in "Writing the Fight
Scene-Part 2 (Understanding How Untrained Fighters Think)", this amount of
training still limits the level of strategy that they will use in a fight.<br />
<br />
Please do not misunderstand me. They are better trained than the untrained
fighter, but their overall training is not focused, nor extensive, in
hand-to-hand combat. In my post "Writing the Fight Scene-Part 2
(Understanding How Untrained Fighters Think)",I discuss how fighters think
and strategize the fight. In that posting, I described the untrained fighter's
level of strategy is that of a game of tic-tac-toe and that of a highly trained
fighter to be the equivalent of a chess player. In the case of the level of
training that the average military personal has would fall somewhere between
the two--maybe closer to checkers.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">With this
stated, each branch of the US armed forces has a different philosophy of
martial arts. Before World War II, the armed forces main focus on hand-to-hand
combat was a mixture of boxing, wrestling, and - - -well, barroom brawling.
After World War II, the five main branches (most think of only four, but for
the purpose here and understanding the role of the US Coast Guard, I have
broken it out into a separate branch) of the military went down different
roads:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">* The US
Army and US Air Force hand-to-hand training is based mostly on Judo and Aikido;<br />
* The US Navy Force hand-to-hand training is based mostly on Boxing;<br />
* The US Coast Guard hand-to-hand training is based mostly on Boxing and
Aikido;<br />
* The US Marine Corps hand-to-hand training has been recently updated to be
based on a mix of Karate, </span>Taekwondo<span style="line-height: 115%;">, Jujitsu, Brazilian Ju-jitsu, </span>Eskrima, and Muay Thai.
(I have news for them-they just tried to reinvent Tracy's Kenpo, which is what
I study.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I used the
qualifier of "mostly" on purpose. The reason for this is that the
military do work on and improve their fighting methods. Some of this
improvement comes from conflicts with other forces--in other words, war-- and
from the exchange of styles between these five branches and their personnel
seeking training outside of their basic training. Furthermore, I do not describe the training that Special Forces undergo with their fight training. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In my next
posting in this series, I will discuss the "gym trained" fighter.
This will include any fighter trained in a gym, studio, club, or dojo.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;">And
thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a>
and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses. </span></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-55166310378878819262012-05-05T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-05T05:29:48.539-07:00Having Coffee with Debut Author Cole Gibsen<div style="color: white;">
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It is my pleasure to introduce you to a fun writer to know
and to read: Cole Gibsen. Her debut novel, <u>Katana</u>, is like an all you
can eat candy shop for a chocoholic--with accurate fight scenes (in my humble
3rd degree Black Belt opinion) not to mention she has her character use my
favorite weapon --the Katana (a weapon I had started studying since I was 11).
Take these facts; add in humor, a liberal dash of "Buffy the Vampire
Slayer" and stir with a "Kill Bill" Katana and you get Rileigh
Martin--the heroin of <u>Katana</u>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So please sit
back with a cup of coffee (or whatever beverage you wish to enjoy) and join us
for a coffee with Cole and I.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>David Alan
Lucas</b>: When you are starting to work on a new novel, what do you find brings
the story into focus for you? A Character? A setting? Something else?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU-SCJCt9ITmxmsJfEQ8BGyiPcbuv0lijihnZZ2QiOuIhgM6qq61UUj8bY5fuvfT04bgsIqdPMAiic255nQvv-xmL7zPR6awtHD1WB8ZJGPwXwGZiIJ0p-kFMo_TIURTa3RGWKkQfce8a/s1600/Cole+Gibson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU-SCJCt9ITmxmsJfEQ8BGyiPcbuv0lijihnZZ2QiOuIhgM6qq61UUj8bY5fuvfT04bgsIqdPMAiic255nQvv-xmL7zPR6awtHD1WB8ZJGPwXwGZiIJ0p-kFMo_TIURTa3RGWKkQfce8a/s320/Cole+Gibson.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>Cole Gibsen</b>: Voice
is usually the first thing I’ll focus on when I begin a new novel because it
will be the first thing that resonates inside my head. I’ll usually have a
particular character talking to me before their story unfolds. That’s not at
all crazy…right? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RIGHT?</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What
attracted you to YA fiction?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>CG</b>: For me,
my favorite thing about writing for teens is the raw emotions and “firsts” they
get to experience at that age. Now, you couldn’t pay me enough to go back in
time and relive my teen years—but write about them? Yes, please!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: In <u>Katana</u>,
you have a very well developed voice that brings out the teenage heroin. How
were you able to develop the voice?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: I adore
teenagers. Maybe it’s because my own teen years were so rough, but I’ve always
had a special place in my heart for that particular age group. Maybe it’s
because of this that I’m able to relate to them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What was
the hardest part of writing <u>Katana</u>?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB-rPTYdmR6JehFC7VcIGlN0sGb5LdgWpUqbdJ2fBnEoAhwdDexyST6pS7aygRnnFtDSVhkMlhtFdPNbLN5cAJv6_77Wr_ve9fR0uhpc82b_CRO24otmx01_9Rdd32PVyxPzTUTrb3hP7/s1600/katana.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB-rPTYdmR6JehFC7VcIGlN0sGb5LdgWpUqbdJ2fBnEoAhwdDexyST6pS7aygRnnFtDSVhkMlhtFdPNbLN5cAJv6_77Wr_ve9fR0uhpc82b_CRO24otmx01_9Rdd32PVyxPzTUTrb3hP7/s320/katana.JPG" width="207" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: The
comedy. I have a quirky sense of humor and what is hilarious to me might be
lost on other people. Writing KATANA, I was scared that people wouldn’t get my
weird sense of humor. Luckily, for the most part, it seems that most people are
just as goofy as me. This is cause to celebrate because, really, the more the
merrier. This world can be too serious sometimes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What
themes in your fiction writing seem to drive you the most?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: Comic
books! I love them! And if I can write a novel that has a comic book feel, then
I know I’m on the right track.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: Do you
work on multiple novels at once? If so, how many?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: Oh, I
can’t even imagine! I’m a one-novel-at-a-time-girl. I can’t imagine having any
more voices inside my head than I already do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What do
you find focuses your writing?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: Opening
the document. It’s amazing how many distractions will pull you away from
clicking on the Word icon. But I find that once I have it open, I’m usually
okay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: How easy
was it to take the leap of faith to become a serious writer and chase this
career? What did you find that you had to do to take the step?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: It wasn’t
easy at all. I had a lot of self doubt that held me back from even attempting
to write my first novel. It wasn’t until the economy bottomed out and I was
forced to close my business that I decided to really give it a serious go. At
that point I figured, I had nothing to lose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What was
your biggest fear when you decided to be published?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: My
internal editor likes to whisper things like, “They’re all going to laugh at
you!” and “This is complete crap!” My biggest fear was that my internal editor
was right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: Who was
the most influential person or persons in your writing career?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: One of my
mentors is a fabulous St. Louis young adult writer by the name of Antony John.
I don’t know where I’d be without his career advice and guidance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: If there
was some advice that you could give to a fellow writer, what would it be?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: Perseverance.
It makes me so sad when I hear about a writer throwing in the towel after a few
rejections. I get it. I’ve felt that way myself. But in this business, you
won’t get anywhere unless you grab the bull by the horns. It took me two books,
two years, and over two hundred rejections until I landed my agent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What
advice would you give a fellow writer about pitching a story either face to
face or in a query letter?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: The
shorter the better. Get your hook in there and don’t bog down the rest with
details.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: When you
plot your novels, from whose point of view do you plot from? The protagonist’s?
The antagonist’s? The narrator’s? Some one else?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: Wait,
what? I have to plot my novels? Kidding! I used to be a big pantser but I’m
fast becoming a plotter. My favorite thing to start with, before I even think
plot, are character bio sheets. Personally, I really have to know my characters
before I can tell how they’re going to react and move the story along.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: What is
your writing schedule like?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: Wait,
what? Other writers have a schedule? This time I’m not so much kidding. As the
mother of a preschooler, my day consists of fitting writing between doctor
appointments, dance class, gymnastics, and whatever else may pop up on the day
planner. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: If you
could have coffee (or drink of your choice) with four other authors from any
time period, who would you choose and why?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: I’d pick
the writers who’ve inspired me the most with their writing whether it was a
comic book, novel, picture book, or screenplay. Those writers would be; Stan
Lee, Mark Twain, Dr. Seuss, and Kevin Smith. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>DAL</b>: How
could my readers learn more about you?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<b>CG</b>: I love
interacting with readers! You can find me on my website: <a href="http://www.colegibsen.com/">www.ColeGibsen.com</a>,
Twitter: @Colegibsen, or on Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/colegibsen">www.facebook.com/colegibsen</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
Thank you Cole for taking time to share with us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
<i><span style="font-style: normal;">And
thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a>
and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com"><span style="text-decoration: none;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>.
You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens
@TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in
our society to explore the human condition as he chooses. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: white;">
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237343282512778857.post-28271794652839972572012-05-03T04:00:00.000-07:002012-05-04T18:53:19.636-07:00A Special Coffee With David: To Blog or Not To Blog is No Longer a Question<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRjTEYIIwlcjo1ZGmbzztj629JtbdeKuXyVRNzaF-jURhEs-TxlE3OLEM_u20ggHdSETYvN3kiJflYw1ilIIw2AYKNiYjppPwQ6q_6z4LiOEZkI434brBDKv9aQo3PxGyP5hgm4x9KiPr/s1600/Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRjTEYIIwlcjo1ZGmbzztj629JtbdeKuXyVRNzaF-jURhEs-TxlE3OLEM_u20ggHdSETYvN3kiJflYw1ilIIw2AYKNiYjppPwQ6q_6z4LiOEZkI434brBDKv9aQo3PxGyP5hgm4x9KiPr/s400/Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On May 5th, I will be giving a presentation to The St. Louis Writers Guild on Blogging. If you're in town . . . </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<div class="bold">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-size: large;">To Blog or Not To Blog is No Longer a Question
</span></span></h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHVdiWUFQQHPUi8q58_GNEAuznzX64q-5w18GIUkBpxu7daLKRPzLb0Q9ukoQye7aJian6TP1b1p8_Q7WdamibYrKq_vbTPVyJe8ENczoe3CDWGNvtaoBZXWk_tY2yX3BbAZAm4ib_ylI/s1600/headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHVdiWUFQQHPUi8q58_GNEAuznzX64q-5w18GIUkBpxu7daLKRPzLb0Q9ukoQye7aJian6TP1b1p8_Q7WdamibYrKq_vbTPVyJe8ENczoe3CDWGNvtaoBZXWk_tY2yX3BbAZAm4ib_ylI/s320/headshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="centerbold" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Kirkwood Community Center, 2nd floor<br />
111 S. Geyer Rd.,</b> <b>Kirkwood, MO 63122</b><br />
Get <a href="http://www.stlwritersguild.org/zfiles/calendarprograms/events/workshops.php#directions">map and directions</a></span>
</div>
<div class="centerbold" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
Date: Saturday,
May 5, 2012<br />
Time: 10 AM until noon
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">
SLWG members attend for FREE; $5 fee for non-members</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.stlwritersguild.org/zfiles/calendarprograms/events/registration.php" target="_blank">Please register in advance</a></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Whether you are using WordPress, Blogger, or Tumblr every writer
needs to be blogging, but it can be a strange and unfamiliar world.
David Lucas, who writes for not one, but many blogs, will discuss why
writers should blog, what a book blog tour is, how blogs can be a great
way to market a novel, and how to draw traffic to your site. If you are a
blogger, have thought about blogging, or have no idea what a blog is –
this workshop will you navigate the blogosphere.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">David Alan Lucas is a writer, poet, martial artist and a
prolific blogger. He has blogged interviews of emerging musical bands
for "Rolling Stone" type ezines, writing techniques, self-defense, and
health care law. Some of his blogs about overcoming learning
disabilities have been used by professors in universities both in the
United States and Great Brittan.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYXSj0IMz0S4wD-yXOvbZwOiS8san4BpjU86RtzoxVI5GpMEqC1bjuK5hvf_hbpmSJIM3O82qLE5PhWKOBMAUyovMPMf8tVZLobRBAkgHlxxEjlWiko9eDuHSpj-UEoOUO2xsy7WUWJrb/s1600/s41270cb118708_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYXSj0IMz0S4wD-yXOvbZwOiS8san4BpjU86RtzoxVI5GpMEqC1bjuK5hvf_hbpmSJIM3O82qLE5PhWKOBMAUyovMPMf8tVZLobRBAkgHlxxEjlWiko9eDuHSpj-UEoOUO2xsy7WUWJrb/s320/s41270cb118708_8.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">His fiction includes Paranormal, Horror, Science Fiction, and Mystery/Crime Drama.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">David is a Sandan (Third Degree Black Belt) in Tracy’s
Kenpo under Tim Golby and David Hofer and brings his knowledge of
martial arts, physical and psychological combat to his self-defense
articles and his fiction writing. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">David holds a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education
from the University of Missouri—St. Louis and a Masters Degree in
Business and Leadership from Webster University. He is also a certified
paralegal.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When David is not writing he is reading, working with
the community, traveling, camping, studying martial arts, or otherwise
looking to get into some kind of adventure that will likely spawn other
story and poetry ideas.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In David's "To Blog or Not to Blog, There is No Longer a
Question," he will go into the does, don'ts and musts of blog writing.
Many of these will be from personal experience.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">David currently blogs actively on his own Coffee with David blog site (<a href="http://davidalanlucas.blogspot.com/">http://davidalanlucas.blogspot.com</a>) as well as The Writers' Lens (<a href="http://www.thewriterslens.com/">http://www.thewriterslens.com</a>) and he can be followed on Twitter @owlkenpowriter </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Thank you for reading and please visit <a href="http://www.davidalanlucas.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.davidalanlucas.com</span></a>
and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thewriterslens.com"><span style="color: blue;">www.thewriterslens.com</span></a>. You can also follow me on
twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens. Fiction is the
world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the
human condition as he chooses.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="margin-left: 20px; margin-right: 20px;">
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11738593909824407116noreply@blogger.com1