Interview, Part 9 - FIRE, the Hunger

The best question, how does the storyteller work up their stories.

First to find stories liked, then print them out, and read over and over to see if plots are suitable. Then I make what I called a ‘Summary Page’: how long the story is, my first sentence, my last sentence, a summary of the plot, and where I told the story, adding notes about the telling that I need to remember. 

If I have enough stories on a theme like the FIRE stories, I make a frame, bridge, or a segue through them. That means I plot out each story; have 'character bios' as on FIRE, humans, gods, hummingbird, beaver, Grandma Spider, monkeys, hunters, Bertha Digby. Then make a 'motivation sheet' on each character about their driving concerns that moves the plot forward to the next story. 

The beginning, the gods have FIRE and humans and animals want its warmth and light. So, the middle events: Hummingbird gives to the Pines, Beaver gives to all trees, Grandma Spider throws light to the night sky. Until the climax event, a hunter steals the FIRE from the monkeys to the final event, FIRE burns up the forest. The ending conclusion, Bertha Digby replants the forest for all of us.

If you join my newsletter called the EVENTING. . ., I talk about writing and storytelling. As a new subscriber, you receive the Story Charts used for plotting, character motivation, scenes, framing or the segue, with the bonus of the hero’s journey. There are 12 charts in all. The charts were compiled from storytellers, who shared how they organize their stories. I give this information to whoever wants to craft their best stories to tell or write, please honor this.

Interview - Part 8, FIRE, the Hunger

Have you verbally told or written any of the fire stories before?

The FIRE stories came about when I went to Feather River Family Camp, 2005, the first week of August when the outdoors is hot and very dry. I told the stories around the first night's campfire to children and parents. Later, I presented more FIRE stories at night on the Open Stage. And I have a spot for evening stories in the Crafts Circle just before dinner, what better than FIRE stories.

After telling at Feather Family Camp, I told stories for Oaklandish, 2006, who were building pride in Oakland and having a campout at Oakland's Chabot State Park. The FIRE stories went well with the crowd of young adults.

Next, I told the stories for a birthday party, 2007. Parents of a young girl called me about stories; I asked if they could have a fire; the parents said yes. I narrated the FIRE stories around the pit and related how we must constrain FIRE because of the horror of eating everything, and that now FIRE was held in candles on a birthday cake and blown out for a wish. The young lady liked the stories.

The last story, Bertha Digby was published in an anthology organized by the 4th Street Studio's Saturday Salons, The Livermore Wine Country Literary Harvest, ©2006. 'Saving the Woods' is on pages 67 to 69. My folktale honors a squirrel and all animals (a metaphor for people) who restore burnt forests that other humans destroy by one means or other.

The FIRE stories were bridged together by the desire for warmth and light and told monthly at a storytelling swap in 2008, which I helped run at the Orinda library.

The folktales were written out for the April 2017 NaNoWriCamp were enhanced, modified, elaborated and bridged together around one of the worst predator, who eats everything, 'FIRE, the Hunger.'

Now, the segued folktales are on wattpad, a great platform to connect with readers while writing and editing. Soon 'FIRE, the Hunger' will be posted on Bublish with 'bubbles' that appear on Twitter and Facebook for publicity.

Interview - Part 7, FIRE, the Hunger

What are the lessons learned about FIRE?

FIRE is our enemy, who eats everything but treated like a hero, a treasure to be sought, a prize to have as if a best friend. FIRE is a monster and humans, especially children, need to learn this and how to control its hunger.

FIRE is never to be free, never allow FIRE out of any container holding it. By container is meant keeping FIRE in a hearth of the bricks or rocks like our fireplaces, or a simple dirt pit in the ground. We must always keep FIRE confined.
When finished with FIRE while camping, cover FIRE with dirt or drown with water. If cooking on stove that uses gas flames, complete turn off the flame. If using matches, drown the burning part with water. If ever smelling smoke, investigate. Have a fire extinguisher ready and have the phone number of the Fire Department close. 

BE WARNED!


FIRE has an enormous, ferocious appetite, always hungry, and eats furiously. From the lava formed from melted rocks in the volcanoes to the lightning that dashes through the air; fire's priority is to consume everything. 



FIRE flickers with hypnotic light and dashes as it dances over a victim with penetrating heat to consuming its prey. Fire is formless and raises up to the sky as if praying. While eating victims, fire chants with sounds like hollowed crackling, sudden pops and snapping, or a long rumbling hum. Sometimes sparks like diamonds from FIRE spray quickly into the air reaching, this is to send FIRE to its next meal. Fire is dangerously beautiful, enchanting, and hypnotic.

REMEMBER!


FIRE is a trickster using charms of heat and light as magic, this is to hide a ferocious appetite and is it always looking, searching for ways to escape a confinement to burn, sting, and roast victims causing enormous damage and pain. After FIRE eats only ashes are left.

FIRE, the Hunger

Interview - Part 6, FIRE, the Hunger

Are you satisfied with the way the stories follow each other?

Yes, I have made a specific point to use the animal's or the human’s desire for FIRE at the beginnings and FIRE’S horrible appetite at the end of each story to weave into the next story so the characters push the plot along. This is called bridging or the segue, in which ‘FIRE, the Hunger’ is desired for the warmth and light, and how each character managed to secure their desire, or not and the following tragedy FIRE starts. There is a difference in time when the Greek and Roman gods secure FIRE for their followers and how the animals secured FIRE in the folktales from the Americans, the ancient of all worlds.

FIRE, the Hunger

Interview - Part 5, FIRE the Hunger

READ on WATTPAD.

How did you put the stories together?

First, I selected stories to prove my premise and compliment the theme, then arranged the order: the volcanoes and then the animals that helped to a hunter that steals FIRE to the tragedy of that theft burning down the forest, thus making the god Kaang’s warning true, “The human loss of harmony with the animals.” 

And for a constructive conclusion after the horrid FIRE ate the forest and homes, I added a creative story I wrote about a squirrel, Bertha Digby. who replants the forest. Which is fitting because if you ever lived among trees, squirrels are the busiest of creatures planting everything they get their paws on. In my yard, they are always in the Oak, Avocado, Magnolia, or Camille trees. And if they could, they would even plant apples and orange trees as they do the plum trees. The squirrels carry flowers seeds on their fur, and these seeds scatter around the ground while they dig in the acorns, walnut and avocado seed, which will grow into trees if not dug up for foods later.

  FIRE, the Hunger.

Interview - Part 4, FIRE the Hunger

READ on WATTPAD.

What is the theme that holds the stories together?

Fire’s personality is the theme. FIRE stays alive by eating, which is the horror of FIRE making it a monster. FIRE is a voracious, selfish, hungry, villain that has no guilt or shame and feasts on everything. FIRE eats oxygen out of the air, which is its very best friend.

FIRE has hypnotic powers to maintain a spell-bound entranced viewer. I witnessed this as a kid watching the hypnotic flames flicker back-and-forth sometimes yellow or orange and maybe green or blue fueled eating FIRE eating its wooden victim. As FIRE reached up into the sky, it popped sparks to escape the trees to satisfy its ravished appetite.Where I live now, FIRE burned the dried ivy from the house next door eager to eat the house and sleeping victims and damaged our shed in the backyard. Years later an enormous FIRE came from smoldering roots in the Public Park up the hill behind our house. The wind blew the smoking embers into flames, which roared down the hill eating homes, pets, and trees. When ashes fall, and the smoke gathered around our house, I panicked. I took weird things, like the dogs, chickens, phones, frozen chicken, and all our coats. And, all the photos I had because I worked on my Father’s family tree. That FIRE was drowned by Firemen just two blocks away from our home. The just last month, the horror of FIRE, crawling and eating all the plants, animals, buildings of 7,000 people and businesses in the North Bay area of San Francisco.

FIRE is a monster and the humans needed to know this and how to control its hunger.

FIRE, the Hunger.

 

Interview, Part 3 - FIRE, the Hunger

What do you mean by the premise; and how does it work with the plot?

Premise is how the stories are organized to offer the assumption, speculation, belief that is theorize and assume to be proven or disapproved like a scientific hypothesis. These stories or metaphors are to prove FIRE has an appetite that goes beyond what human’s imagine.

The warning came from god Kaang,”If humans get their hands on FIRE, there will be no harmony only fear and horror among the animals with the humans.” Then I organized the stories to prove Kaang’s warning. First, the legend of Goddess Pele’s volcanic anger and erupts and that gods hold ignitable FIRE in their volcanoes to make precious jewelry, Hephaestus. The humans desire to own FIRE, which is also fueled by their hypnotic enchantment with FIRE’s power, given to them by God Prometheus. Although, the animals seek the warmth and light, they understand the horrors of FIRE. The humans are beguiled by FIRE and finally steal FIRE without understanding the risks and costs they carry with FIRE’s hunger.

FIRE, the Hunger.

Interview - Part 2 - FIRE, the Hunger

FIRE, the Hunger

Why did you pick the FIRE stories you selected?

I wasn't sure if there were stories that talked about the beginnings of FIRE. I knew there were ancient stories about discovering the wheel. So I went the online library and came across about 10 suitable stories. Plus, a few stories about FIRE gods:  Pele and her anger, and Greek and Roman gods, and a story from South America about the god that protected FIRE in the heath. Some worked and most did not. Then I came across stories from the Native Americans about who spread FIRE: Hummingbird, Beaver, Spider, and then the Monkeys who helped a lost Hunter with FIRE. Finally, I found a warning from the bushmen God Kaang, who "If humans had FIRE no harmony would last between trees, animals, and the humans. No longer could they speak with each other." That became the premise, the theme, for the plot - the dangers of FIRE and fear in animals. And as a child, when camping we had FIRE contained in a pit, and it was dangerously hot and tried to continually escape to eat whatever FIRE could.

FIRE, the Hunger

Interview - Part 1 - 'FIRE, the Hunger'

FIRE, the Hunger

What made you decide to tell fire stories with the intriguing title ‘FIRE, the Hunger’?

When I was a child, I grew up in Colorado and loved the mountains. My Dad, cut timber up Highway 24 by Woodland Park, which at that time was not a city. My intrigue with Fire started then we kept it in the pit and burned our garbage and everything, tin cans, and shoes. Fire was very feared because it would burn the forests and take my dad’s job of cutting timber for buildings and making telephone poles.
When my Dad retired from that job because lumber was scarce in Colorado, we went camping every summer. I think every weekend. My Dad loved the outside so did my Mom; she was from the small farm in Limon, Colorado.
At camp, at night, my uncles made this big fire in a rock pit. They built the pit making sure no trees and no roots were near. They brought their wood or cut the dry wood for the trees. Cutting fire wood is not allowed today, too many fires burnt too many forests. 
We had a beautiful warm, actually hot, Fire at night with dancing sparks. When I looked into the air, the flames danced in the darkness. We were never allowed to start the fire or to feed it the wood. However, we could to roast hot dogs on long sticks and after wards melt or burn marshmallows.
 After the camp dinner, the men sat around the fire while the women cleaned up the dishes and put away the foods. Like a hunter's camp only in the summer with the kids and women could come. The men fed the fire and talked about their fishing adventures they had during the day. Now and then, they would drop into their hunting adventures. As the kids, we got to listen.
When the fire ate all the wood for that night, it was put out. Either smothered with dirt or drown with water on the glowing embers. The men killed Fire, so as not to have it escape into our camp or the forest. Sometimes the kids killed the fire.
Fire did burn if touched, always entrancing, magically, and ate all we gave and could turn into a monster taking what FIRE wanted eating everything in its path. As happened in our neighborhood about 20 years ago; 3,000 homes burnt. Now in North Bay in San Francisco where many friends and relations live. FIRE is a HORROR!
Children should know FIRE's charms and dangers.
FIRE, the Hunger

STORY, STORY, and more stories

STORY, STORY, and more stories ...

For the next month through NaNoWriCAMP, their July 2017 camp. I am pledge to write 10,000 words eight stories about FIRE, actually how gods of the ancients knew the humans should not handle fire---> which does escape from a dirt pit and eats everything around.

My writing progress will be posted with the Clarion Foundation Write-a-Thon for 8 finished stories.  And, stories will be published on my wattpad page called, 'FIRE, the Hunger.'

Where is the authorpreneur?

Frankly, I'm lost on a busy noisy downtown business district in a gigantic intersection lined with sky-scapers, packed with cars, buses, taxis, streetcars, bicycles, scooters, and pedestrians rushing everywhere among the loud noises. 

My car stopped at 'red' light in the intersection with multi lanes going in all directions: emails, websites, blogs, e-newsletters, subscribers, e-publishers, e-bookstores, e-books, PoDs, bookstores, libraries, info-products, podcasts, audios, and video production. All cramped into lanes waiting for the light to change. 

The green light directs "go" in my lane. I drive safely through the congested intersection while others wait, watching. When I'm on the other side, I park my car to open my computer to find 'where', 'when', 'how', and 'why' all the (^*%@*&~) traffic.

Long web lines attach from my computer stretching and dangling somewhere/anywhere from one site across to the next site in one massive jumble of links. I slip into tangle lines entranced by banners, ads, visuals, and promotions that hypnotize with flashing lights and fantastic hooks for marketing my stories. 

First, my blogs storyportfolio for my story art; then TheSTORYRealm for my verbal stories; and BlobBlobandBlogging for writing advice; LinkedIn.com for my resume and business As Is Productions; Flickr and Behance for art and photos; and my website Wordpress; for my e-newsletter Eventing . . . a provider MailChimp which formats email and manages the lists; Facebook with professional pages ART and STORYTELLING; and @twitter; Pinterest for product sales; and google+ general posts.Then there are apps, plug-ins, and widgets for your websites and blogs; Comiclife and Canvas for design; Libsyn, Audacity, iTunes, and Soundcloud for podcasting and audios; webinars; google+ hangouts; and youtube channel for my storytelling videos. For challenges NANOWRIMO and the Clarion Write-a-Thon for writing; an AtoZBlog challenge to keep the stories coming. Then Scribd., Wattpad, and Bubblish for beta readers to enjoy my works-in-progress, on and on and on. 
 
All these sites have connecting links for my readers to post comments and links to their sites or friends.

Thus, Rhyonna's story has copyright, ISBNs, and LCCN# for paperback and Kindle on Amazon with an Amazon Author Page; listed on Smashwords for distribution to libraries and other ebook stores:  iBooks, Barnes&Nobles, Kobo and now on SELL-e for Librarians; and so featured on Goodreads.
 
--> Rhyonna and my stories happily and contently stream through the web catching readers and listener from one site or another. I close my computer and relax, waiting like a spider to capture visitors that stream enchanted through the vast buzz of STORY! Successfully, I accomplished my goal.

I love STORY!

I start my car and drive into the streaming traffic working on my next projects:  Vasalisa and The Elfin Letters.

WINNER 2017- Camp NaNoWriMo Survivor - # AtoZchallenge

During Camp NaNoWriMo, I wrote a story a day that I tell verbally. The stories were outlined for the events and characters. April 2017 as the last Camp in April 2016, I entered the #AtoZBlog challenge to posted a daily 'teaser' for the story on my blog The Story Realm. Also, the complete story posted daily at my site on Wattpad.com for my followers to read. The triple challenge is the best way to link the stories and reached readers. The super best are the links to reach followers on the other sites. My blog The StoryRealm has links to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, my Amazon page and emails that I used to send 'teaser' for the story to followers.

So written daily, the story posted on many sites for visits and comments from my followers.
This is a broad critique group that meets online and gives suggestions or can ignore the story. Comments or not, I have successfully written a story daily and notified my followers all done because I was under pressure at Camp NaNoWriMo to finish a project. So, I say, take all challenges, do your best, and while working on a project 'web' publish so others can see your progress.

THANK YOU all at NaNoWriMo and #AtoZchallenge ---> I'm one who needs a challenge and a goal to feel success, especially the bonus of the certificates that state, 'WINNER' and SURVIVOR which were earned and well deserved.

The Dragon Keepers - #AtoZChallenge

Judgement - The Dragon Keepers - #AtoZChallenge

JUDGEMENT

READ!

Dragons control the weather and honored and respected because they changed dryness and scarcity into richness and prosperity by keeping the rains falling. The Golden Emperors declared themselves the Dragons of the Golden Dynasty, and allow no one to speak the word, dragon, expect the royalty. 
The Emperors were in total control. Alas, an Emperor and his court dishonored the dragons.

Emperor and his court dragons ate two mythical dragons causing great disrespect and dishonor to all Celestial Dragons, who became angry. Droughts came because of the mandate declared by earthy Emperors, that they controlled the weather and natural happening of the earth. The people starved. After long many droughts and hardships, the people revolted, which lasted for two hundred years.

In 1911, the new government of China declared all the peoples of China had the status of the Dragon; all work hard to protect the forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains so everyone prospered.

In 1948, the Dynasty changed shape. Still, the Dragon lives within peoples who honored and respected Dragons since the very beginning of time.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-12-2017 - Letter J

LiAnge and the Magic Paint Brush - #AtoZChallenge

Incisive - LiAnge and the Magic Paint Brush - #AtoZChallenge  

READ THIS STORY

INCISIVE

Today's story is about a youth, LiAnge, who lived the mountains alone. His family killed by the many wars that crossed China. He gathered sticks from the woods and sold to the villagers for his food. He longed to become a scholar, a court dragon, who learned the three academic skills: painting, poetry, and calligraphy.

For his passion, he is given a magic brush by the Queen Mother of the West, mother of P'angu, to be a great painter of beauty ‘for the good of the people’. Using his paint brush to give good fortune and abundance, LiAnge's success crosses the path of a possessive, greedy Emperor.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-11-2017 - Letter I

The Poet and the Peony, #AtoZChallenge

Honorable - The Poet and the Peony, #AtoZChallenge...:

HONORABLE

READ STORY!

Siang Yu, completed his training in the three perfections, poetry, art, and calligraphy. Now, a Dragon Scholar, a poet who paints beauty with words and images, In the beauty of ancient Taoist garden, Siang Yu creates a lasting love with a peony, a young maiden.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-10-2017 - Letter H

Li Chi, the Serpent Slayer, #AtoZChalle...

GENEROUS - Li Chi, the Serpent Slayer,

GENEROUS

READ

Li Chi as other Chinese heroine displaced worms and serpents from China that battled for control over the prosperous lands from the many struggling Dynasties.

Li Chi was the youngest daughter of a farmer, who had no sons. She watched the Sorceress and the Magistrate collected rice from her Father and Mother to so her oldest sister was not sacrificed to the worm serpent who lived on the mountain. Li Chi would kill the serpent.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-8-2017 - Letter G

 

The Lonely Dragon, #AtoZchallenge

Festive - The Lonely Dragon:

FESTIVE

Read on Wattpad

The villages respected the dragons, because they offered protection, controlled the weather thus creating good fortune and wealth.

Mei Ling, a young girl, lived in a poor village. Rain never came and the crops of rice and the vegetables died. Grandma said, “The villagers are afraid of the anger from the dragon on the mountain top. The village bestows no honor on him, so village not honored by dragons.” Mei Ling invites the lonely dragon to a village party. 

As dragon wins respect and honor, Chinese Land Lords use the people's love for the dragon to create power and control for themselves, a tale that goes on and on.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-7-2017 - Letter F

Dragons from the Sky, #AtoZChallenge

Read on Wattpad

ENABLING - Dragons from the Sky  

ENABLING

In the summer when the villagers worked in their fields of grain, dark clouds covered the sun. A cold wind blew hard and fast. The trees bent. Fog surround everything; then a loud thump on the ground.

The villages, fishermen, and farmers have great respect for dragons and honor what they created. The Emperors would soon use this love people had for the dragon for their power and prestige.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-6-2017 - Letter E

MIN, the River Dragon, #AtoZchallenge

DISTINGUISH -  MIN, the River Dragon

READ on WATTPAD

DISTINGUISH

For centuries River Kingdoms were in power and by use of the DRAGONS to fight over for the control of China. Such is the story of Dragon Min, a boy who became a River Dragon and helped the villagers. While becoming a Dragon Min made mud banks around the river to hold shrimps, crabs, eels, and fish and the river irrigated the crops and vegetables.Thus, Dragon Min, like many others, is honored and respected for bringing change, good fortune, and wealth to the river, the villagers, and the farmers.

Dragon and Phoenix - #AtoZChallenge

  Cherish - Dragon and Phoenix: 

CHERISH

Dragon and Phoenix

 The First Dragon, P’angu, died after creating China. He left the Dragons, the Phoenix, the Unicorn, and the Tortoise, who tells the people P’angu’s dreams. The White Jade Dragon and the Golden Phoenix stayed in the Milky Way and created a magic Pearl, which the Queen Mother of the West steals for a 3,000-year party when her peaches ripen.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: #AtoZChallenge - 4-4-2017 - Letter C

P'angu, the First Dragon, #AtoZ Challe...

Boundless - P'angu, the First Dragon

BOUNDLESS

Dragons Shape China

  
The first dragon, P'angu, is a traditional story in 'Dragons Shaped China', which is short, I mean scant, a simplified analogy of Chinese history - re-imaged, enhanced, and elaborated as any excellent storyteller does. This will be a Book, soon at Amazon and Smashwords.com.