What is My Style?

The waiting game is in effect . . . again.  I have already endured the two month wait for my manuscript, A Rose for Sergei, to be cleared by the Federal Government for publication.  Everything was approved, as I stated in previous posts.  Now I am waiting for my editor to wade through my book and make the necessary changes.

The first words back from my editor were:  Your.  Sentences.  Are.  Too.  Short.  Sometimes.  And sometimes you runeverythingtogether.  But then again, she said that maybe short sentences are my style and she doesn’t want to change that.  My editor is adding a lot of commas to the run-on sentences, which seems like an easy fix, but requires a lot of extra rereading.

 

My style!  What is my style?  I have never attempted to write a book before so I really don’t have any awareness in that area.  I believe a writer’s style is just the natural way you express yourself and it is unique to each individual.  All I can say is that, after 40 years of not ever talking about Sergei Kourdakov, all of the words tumbled out onto the pages when I finally started writing this book.  That explains the run-on sentences.  And I will admit that I like short sentences for emphasis.

 

My daughter, Laura, is my editor.  She is a writer/editor and I trust her to do an excellent job.  The roles are reversed, and now the child is the teacher.  Now I am anxiously waiting for the editing to be completed.  And I have become an advocate for the comma.  

Apparently, you, can, never, have, too, many, commas.

Wimps Need Not Apply

I mentioned in a previous post* that I had a sense of adventure and I thought it was one of the qualities that Sergei was attracted to.  When Sergei Kourdakov and I met I was working in a division of the American Forces Radio and Television Service in the Washington DC area office.   (*You Have to Let Go – April 17, 2013)

Writing about being adventuresome, however, reminded me of an incident many years ago when I worked as a secretary for the US Marshals Service.  It was a great place to work; the US Marshals were a very dedicated group of people.  I loved it when I saw tourists in the Washington DC area wearing t-shirts that proudly proclaimed, “I’m in the Witness Protection Program.”  I found that slogan to be incredibly funny.  I only worked for the US Marshals for a few months though because the division that I worked for ended up relocating to a larger building and I, unfortunately, was not able to move with them.  The move would have tripled my commute time. 

One particular memory from the US Marshals Service still stands out to this day.  I was carrying papers into the Director’s office right at the very second a section of his window cracked.  A few small fragments of glass flew out from the large wall of windows behind the Director’s desk.  I stopped just inside the door in time to see the Director drop from his chair to the floor behind his desk.  He shouted for me to get down but I had already followed his lead.  I was on the floor before he even called out to me. 

From behind his desk the Director said that a gun had been fired into the room.  He called out to me to turn off the lights since I was kneeling inside the door near the light switch.

“I’m not standing up to turn off the lights,” I called back.  It sounded like a dumb idea to me.

“NO, DON’T STAND UP!  Just slide your hand up along the wall and turn the lights off.  Stay down,” he warned me.

My arm slithered up along the wall and I fumbled for the light switch while remaining in a crouched position.

“Stay low and back out of the office, away from the windows,” he said.

I backed out to the safety of my office where there were no windows.  I saw the Director quickly run across the room in a hunched over position.  Once he was out of his office he rounded up a dozen Marshals.  They ran out with guns ready to search the wooded area behind our building.  After a short while they returned empty handed.  A careful check of the Director’s office revealed that it was, in fact, only a BB pellet that had penetrated the window.  They assumed it was just some young kid out having fun in the woods until a BB pellet went astray.

I thought of the kid, probably terrified, running for the safety of his home.  I could just imagine him cowering in his bedroom, trembling as he peeked out the window and watched a dozen armed tough guys on a manhunt, searching . . . for him!  That would be anyone’s nightmare.

The office quickly settled down and everybody went back to their normal routine.  Just your typical day at work, I thought as I smiled to myself.  It was definitely an interesting place to work.  I distinctly remembered that when I applied for the job that there was no mention of “nerves of steel” listed as one of the requirements. 

Maybe there should have been a disclaimer at the bottom of the job application: 

 

Wimps Need Not Apply

 

 

 

The Influence of Social Media

For some reason I really dislike the phrase, “The Power of Social Media.”  Alone, Social Media isn’t powerful since we make it what it is.  It is a useful tool that relays information in the blink of an eye.  We give it power.  We choose what we want to make public.  We control it, it doesn’t control us.  

I have been reading and following a Russian History Blog for more than a year.  Not that I am particularly a big fan of Russian history, it was a section on Sergei Kourdakov and “truth in memoirs” that first led me to that site.  I am amazed how significant his story, as told in his book The Persecutor, still is today.  Sergei made a difference in many lives, including my own.  I would have remained clueless regarding people's thoughts about Sergei without the knowledge I gained from reading this blog and other stories on the Internet.

Without Social Media I would never have learned about the movie Forgive Me, Sergei.  The title of the movie seems satirical . . . forgive me Sergei if I don’t believe you.  I did purchase the movie because I was curious to know what it was about.  As far as movies go, I credit the journalist and producer for all of their hard work.  However, their view is definitely not the same one that I have because I knew Sergei personally.  It was hard for me to see and read the negative comments about Sergei.  Over time I found it increasingly more difficult to remain silent.    

Hmmm, on second thought, maybe Social Media really is powerful.  It did influence me to write A Rose for Sergei.  It convinced me to tell a story that was locked within me.  Without Social Media it may have stayed there forever.

The Influence of Social Media should not be underrated.

 

 

Insight

The summer before my senior year of high school I worked as a clerical assistant for the Federal Government in Washington DC.  I was 16 years old, the year was 1968.  That summer was life changing for me because it was my first grown-up job and I fell in love.  Not with an individual . . . I fell in love with the idea of working and the importance and satisfaction that goes along with it.  By the end of the summer I discovered I wanted to work full-time for the Federal Government after I graduated from high school.  If I had chosen a different path I never would have met Sergei Kourdakov four years later.

That summer of ‘68 I met a unique U.S. Air Force Major at work.  In A Rose for Sergei I tell how this person made it a point to share a few “words of wisdom” with me.  It was almost as if he had insight about my life and he was trying to shield me from heartbreak.  At the end of August, when my job was over, I returned to school for my senior year and I never saw or had contact with him again.  His words of wisdom, however, stayed with me always.  It wasn’t until many years later that I realized the significance of our meeting and how relevant his words were.

I believe people come into our life at certain times for a reason.  They touch our life for that moment, provide information, friendship and advice, and then they are gone.

Some people are not meant to be in our life forever. 

 

 

Maybe a Cupcake Will Help

I was in the middle of writing when I received a text from my friend Suzanna.  Her mother had just mailed her a rubber stamp inscribed with the words, “Maybe a Cupcake Will Help.”  It was the perfect gift.  One, because Suzanna loves everything cupcake.  And two, maybe . . . just maybe, a scrumptious treat like a cupcake might really help.  Somehow, we find the thought comforting.  Wouldn’t it be great if all of our concerns could be solved simply by indulging in a cupcake? 

For those that are new to my blog, here is a quick summary of my forthcoming book, A Rose for Sergei.  Sergei Kourdakov was a former KGB agent and Soviet Naval Intelligence Officer who defected to Canada more than forty years ago.  Some of you may already be familiar with his book The Persecutor, which was also published under the title Forgive Me, Natasha.  Sergei spent several weeks in Washington DC talking to Government Officials in the fall of 1972.  We were introduced when he came to my office where I was working as a secretary.  We were both 21 years old and we had an instant connection.  My book is the story about our time together and the remarkable person Sergei became.  

How is the book coming along?  I get asked that question frequently.  It tells me it’s time for a book status update.  Because I worked for the Federal Government when Sergei and I met, it was necessary for me to have my manuscript reviewed prior to publishing.  It took close to two months for that process but I finally received word from the Department of Defense prepublications office.  My manuscript has been cleared for publication!  That is the best possible news I could have received.  It means I still have a book.  It means I can tell my story.

There are still a lot of steps left – editing, rewriting, cover design and marketing.  Do I self publish or find an agent?  The list keeps getting longer and it seems a little overwhelming at times.  Whew, I just need to breathe and take it one step at a time.

Maybe a cupcake will help.

 

 

Life is an Endless Struggle

I have been going to the same place to have my hair cut for quite a few years.  During that time I have become very good friends with a number of the hairstylists that work there.  I’m not sure why we feel compelled to “tell all” when we are sitting in that rotating chair at the hair salon.  Maybe it’s because the stylist has a very sharp pair of scissors or razor blade so close to our eyes and ears.  Maybe it’s because we have a captured audience – they can’t walk away.  The hairstylists have to stay and listen until the shampoo, hair cut and styling are complete.  You have their rapt attention for at least an hour.

The young ladies I chat with the most at my hair salon are young, pretty and up to date with what is going on.  They have listened to stories about Sergei Kourdakov and the journey of my writing A Rose for Sergei.  During a recent visit I mentioned that I was starting to get cold feet.  I was struggling with the publishing dilemma and my apprehension about making this story public after 40 years.  I wondered if maybe just writing everything down, for my eyes only, would satisfy the need I felt to preserve this story about Sergei. 

Their comments provided encouragement:

“It would be normal to feel nervous about publishing a book, no matter what the subject is.  There's always a level of excitement, you would expect that feeling.  It’s a normal reaction.”

“If it is written from the heart then it will be good.”

“I always say to go with your gut feeling.  What is your gut telling you to do?”

I appreciate their insight and support.  They are right.  All those feelings are a normal reaction.  Their anticipation for me to finish and publish A Rose for Sergei is heartfelt.  They encourage me in a way they will never understand.  Thank you Erin, Lindsay and Andrea.  Your enthusiasm and optimism are contagious!

The small framed sign at Lindsay’s work station sums everything up nicely.

Life is an endless struggle,

full of frustrations and challenges,

but eventually you find a hairstylist you like!
     -Magnetic Graffiti©

 

Marriage Material

“If you didn’t think you could marry me, then why did you go out with me in the first place?”

Whoa – let’s back up and take it from the start.  This was a question from a young man I dated before I met Sergei.  I cut the section from my book, A Rose for Sergei, because it digressed from the story line.  It was about the reasons to not date someone you worked with.  I do think the quote is an interesting topic, however, and still applicable today.

The young man credited with asking that question was a military officer, intelligent and kind, and a co-worker.  I didn’t anticipate that his feelings would develop into something much stronger while mine remained friendly.  One thing I had never considered at the time was what would happen if we stopped dating and still had to work together.  And that’s when he wanted to know why I went out with him in the first place if I wasn’t interested in marrying him.  My answer was honest and to the point, “I went out with you to get to know you better.  Isn’t that the reason people date?” 

We ended things amicably but it was difficult to work together in the same office after that.  It helped that I was not the “kiss and tell” type of girl.  The not-so-happy outcome resulted in my self-imposed rule to “never date anyone who worked in my office.”  Only dating someone you could potentially marry was a strange concept to me and the furthest thought from my mind.  

I wonder if that is what guys/girls ask themselves before they consider dating someone today, “Are they honest, fun and adventurous?  Could he/she be marriage material?"