To Beat the Bots, Talk to a Tree

Hank Phillippi Ryan: As always, Jane Cleland, a darling friend of the Reds, knows just the right thing to say, and just the perfect doors to open for us.

Her newest book is Beat The Bots. Yes. Beat the Bots. And more on that below. (It's so life-changingly important!)

Happy Saturday, everyone. Take a few minutes, and now, let Jane transport you.  And Jane is giving a copy of BEAT THE BOTS to one very lucky commenter!

To Beat the Bots, Talk to a Tree

Jane K. Cleland

When I was young, my dad built a rock garden, a secret space filled with craggy stones and low-lying plants placed just so. 

He’d come home from work and visit his garden, repositioning a rock, adjusting a trailing vine. It was his happy place, and perhaps I caught my love of natural beauty from him.

When I visit a new city, I ask about walking trails and botanical gardens. (I know, I know. I can see you rolling your eyes. Over the years, more than one traveling companion has politely suggested we meet up later as they’re out the door to check out the local shops or cafes, while I trek off to a garden.) 

What can I tell you? To me, there’s something about the trees and the shrubs and purling brooks and waterfalls that moves me, that inspires me.

I mean, really... look at this photo I took of the Katharine Hepburn garden in Midtown Manhattan.

This tiny walkway contains stones engraved with some of the late great actress’s most intriguing sayings, like “Without discipline, there’s no life at all,” and “If you always do what interests you, at least one person will be pleased.”

Only recently, in researching the science behind the lore for my new book, Beat the Bots: A Writer’s Guide to Surviving & Thriving in the Age of AI, did I learn that spending time in nature is more than good for us—it will help us harness our creativity. Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist, has conducted research that proves that being in or around water reduces stress and facilitates creative thinking.

Here’s a photo I took from the balcony of a cruise ship. I couldn’t stop looking at this gorgeous, lulling view.

Forests provide solace, too. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” They encourage people to spend time in nature — no actual bathing required. The goal of forest bathing is to live in the present moment while immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of a natural setting.

While the little parks called Tudor City Greens in New York City can’t be called a forest, they offered me great solace during my daily walks, the meandering path, the hidden ferns.

Speaking of ferns, look at the last flower box in my garden in New York—a moss garden with ferns. I added a couple of rocks, too. I think my dad would have been proud.

Even if you can’t leave your home for a walk on the beach or stroll through the woods, you can approximate the mood by playing any of scores of free nature videos widely available on YouTube, the sounds of waterfalls, or birds chirping, or forest creatures cavorting. If you’re like most people, you’ll relax as your internal muse rises to the surface, eager to help you bring forth your creative best.

How about you? I’d love to hear about your favorite nature spot! Please add a comment below and tell me about a place that’s moved and inspired you.


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, we have a little stone bench in our side yard…long ago, maybe a hundred years ago? It was one of the front steps to our house, and for some reason,it had to be taken out. It was so gorgeous that I said–don;t throw that away! I had it made into a bench, using a chunky rock under each end, and now it’s in the midst of a grove of  ferns and spirea, and it is absolutely tranquil.

And we have engraved stones in our yard, too! (They are images: including the Big Dipper, the sun, a flower...and duck footprints!)


How about you, Reds and Readers? What’s your answer to this delightful question?

And Jane is giving a copy of BEAT THE BOTS to one very lucky commenter!
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And don’t you think Jane should tell us more about her new book? Here' s a bit of info:

Beat the Bots offers science-based creativity techniques that guide you through the writing process to unlock your imagination and create compelling stories that resonate with emotional truth in ways AI can’t match.

Even though artificial intelligence is based on a technology called “machine learning,” computers can’t learn to be creative—but you can. This book will show you the way. AI is, by definition, derivative, not creative. It can’t bring rational judgment to determine the quality or value of its work. When you bring those capabilities to your writing, your stories will touch readers’ hearts and minds.

Just as real food is better for us than processed food, and actual social interactions are more meaningful than social media, when it comes to writing your story, artificial intelligence can’t replicate your individual human intelligence, imagination, and sensibility. Technical wizardry can’t tell your story. Only you can do that. Your uniqueness is what separates you from a chatbot, and explains why you can’t be replaced by an algorithm. You’ll succeed because you’re human, not in spite of it.

Through engaging FAQs, invaluable “Pro Tips,” and “AI Weighs In” revelations, you’ll be able to apply the writing lessons and creativity tactics to all aspects of storytelling, bringing your distinctive vision and voice to your projects in ways AI simply can’t. Thought-provoking, science-based guided exercises challenge you to apply each chapter’s lessons to your own writing. Whether you’re writing a novel, literary nonfiction, or a memoir, you’ll be able to write stories that are fresh and compelling—your stories—and those are the books that publishers want and readers crave. That’s how you’ll beat the bots.

Jane K. Cleland’s books on the craft of writing, Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot and Mastering Plot Twists (Writer’s Digest Books, now Penguin Putnam Random House) both won the Agatha Award. Jane has also written fourteen novels in the multiple award-winning Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series (St. Martin’s Minotaur, with short fiction published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine). The series has been optioned for film and TV production. 

In addition, Jane is a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest Magazine and the chair of the Black Orchid Novella Award, presented by the Wolfe Pack in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Jane is a frequent in-person and online presenter at writing conferences, association meetings, and MFA Residencies. She also offers small group Mystery Mastermind virtual workshops, monthly webinars, and free weekly YouTube Shorties—one-to-three-minute answers to FAQ. More information is available at http://janecleland.com.

Stressed? Who me?

 RHYS BOWEN: Like many of my friends I am stressed at the moment. Not just what is happening to our country and the world, but also  reasons closer to home. John's health is up and down. We never know when there might be another trip to the ER. He feels quite dizzy at times, which means he pours himself a glass of milk in the middle of  the night then knocks it over. I hear the crash/tinkle of broken glass at two in the morning.  Not conducive  to a good nitght's sleep.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Then last week, as I started on our taxes, I got the edits for the next Molly book. Can you return them by....Clare was also working on taxes so neither of us had much time. Luckily they were slight but also required going through the ms carefully. And the day after that I got the edits for the next Royal Spyness book. And the day after that a request from the Edgars to answer interview questions. 

Now you understand why I have been a teeny-weeny bit stressed.  I'm trying to take some time out every day to wind down. I've been doing some water color painting, which I find great for relaxing as when you are doing it you can't think about anything else.  Here are some of my recent efforts. 

And I sent off for a steel tongue drum. It's a lovely little round thing with a delightful sound. I've played Frere Jaques and Twinkle Twinkle, and Happy Birthday.  I may progress to the Carnival of the Animals (which my son played with Yo Yo Ma's children's orchestra when he was 12). He played it on the xylophone.

I've been trying to meet friends for lunch or happy hour (just had a lovely time with Jenn and with Barbara Peters) Oh rats.  I meant to take a selfie with Jenn.

And lastly I've been trying to get out into nature. Arizona is bursting with spring flowers. The palo verde trees are a froth of yellow. Out in the dessert there are various wildflowers and the giant suguaro cactus have buds on them, ready to bloom. Just sitting and looking is very therapeutic.

So what have any of you been doing to stay calm and focused? Suggestions please.

A Special Place.

 RHYS BOWEN: Do you have a special place when you need to get away from the world, somewhere you can go to relax, regroup, think things through? During Covid, when we were stuck at home and couldn’t travel I started going to a small cove on San Francisco Bay. It’s only a twenty minute drive from my house but like stepping into another world, along a narrow winding road that hugs the edge of the Bay around a wild peninsula.

The place itself is called China Camp and it was once a settlement of Chinese fisherman. They were driven out of San Francisco because they were competing with the Italian fisherman many years ago. They set up shop here and caught shrimp which they dried and exported back to China. The fishermen and their community are long gone but the houses and pier remain. It’s like stepping back in time. I go and sit on the beach, listen to the lap of the waves, watch the pelicans drift past and feel tension slipping away.

                Because the road is narrow and winding I have to concentrate hard but it’s also good for taking me away from the book I’ve been plotting. I find I come back refreshed every time.  It’s a state park. I now donate to the Friends of China Camp and thus get a year’s parking permit. I also drag my family out there for picnics.

    When the weather is not too hot I also just go out and sit on my balcony where I could watch the view for hours!

                So do you have a place near you that is your go-to escape? Or one that you look forward to escaping to every summer? My summer escape is always to Cornwall and my SIL’s manor house. I wish I could go there more often!

HALLIE EPHRON: In a pinch, there’s a pond in the hills near me with a walking trail all the way around. It’s a gorgeous, mile-long walk, relatively flat, and utterly different depending on the season.  (Iced over in the winter it’s as beautiful in its way.)  It’s good for a quick mind cleanse and recharge.

My extended “escape” is to hang out with my daughters and grands on Peaks Island off the coast of Portland, Maine. Walks abound. There’s a lovely little beach. There’s one grocery store that miraculously sells everything you’d ever need. Sunsets and rock formations to die for.  And of course, family.

JENN McKINLAY: I have a park (Hallman Park) with a huge pond at the edge of my neighborhood about a mile away. It really is an oasis in the desert. The Hooligans rode bikes and fished there as kids and now I walk the dogs because they can run it out through several acres. That’s my day to day retreat.

On a larger scale, we have a summer cottage in Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy. A trout stream runs through the side yard, and it sits right on the water. Most beautiful place on earth and where our family has gathered most summers for almost 40 years. 

LUCY BURDETTE: There is a super-cute, but not at all fancy neighborhood up the street where I walk Lottie most days. It winds past a small beach on the Long Island sound. The water is different every day, and each house is different from the others–it’s a very peaceful break from being inside my head or stuck in the news cycle.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: As you might imagine, I am terrible at this. But sometimes, if I’m feeling overwhelmed, I just go outside and walk around our yard, seeing what plants are coming and going. And how they’re doing. In tomato season, like now, I go to the tomato patches and check on the babies. Even just the fragrance of the tomatoes is transporting.  Or I go into the back yard, and sit very still until the birds arrive. It’s so peaceful. And then I’m fine again.

Longer term, we go to Nevis, where the white sand beaches are deserted, for as far as you can see, and the brown pelicans skim across the water, suddenly dive for a fish, and them come up, gulping it down, and shake their little tailfeathers in triumph. I could watch that for hours.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I don't really have a local place except for my garden–and even if I did, it would be too hot to go there at the moment. But after last autumn's fish disaster, when we lost all but one of our huge koi, we have restocked our pond. Our remaining koi now has two much smaller koi buddies, and a half dozen goldfish. So whenever I reach the "it's all too much" point, I go outside and watch the fish for a little while. Especially in the mornings when the back yard is shady and (sort of) cool, it is so lovely. There is nothing more calming and mind-clearing than watching fish swim.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I feel fortunate to live in Maine, where so much of my surroundings are beautiful. Just driving into town I get to see the tidal river coming in from Casco Bay, and heading up the coast is a constant delight of inlets and sailboats this time of year. I also get a lot of respite from my own somewhat shaggy yard and garden, despite always noticing what I have to do when I'm outside!

Interestingly enough, for my clear-the-mind getaways, I like cities. I visit New York and D.C. several times each year. Maybe it's the contrast we crave - and since my town is less that 8,000, I love being surrounded by buildings and people!

RHYS: So how about you? Do you have that special place , even if it's part of your garden, that you go to to escape?  

The Book of Lost Words

RHYS BOWEN: I was doing an event at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale during the holiday season when owner Barbara Peters showed me a book. "You have to see this," she said. I did and bought it instantly.

It's called THE LOST WORDS. And it conveys a worrying and serious message. The latest edition of the Oxford Junior  Dictionary has removed  around 40 words it no longer considers relevant for young people so that it has room for words more important for our latest technology. Blog, broadband, voice-mail etc. I could understand this if the words were like "forsooth" or "perambulation".

But they are not: they are words from nature, words I consider highly relevant and important to everyone. And so did the writer and illustrator of this book: Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris.
And so they created this gorgeous work of art. Robert MacFarlane describes himself as a collector of words and is a professor at Cambridge. Jackie is a distinguished artist and illustrator of many books. For each of the words they have chosen Robert has written an acrostic. The whole book is such a treat for the senses, a perfect coffee table book, but it carries such a powerful message....

you'll understand when I tell you the words that have been removed from the Junior OED

Acorn

Adder
Bluebell
Bramble
Conker
Dandelion

Fern
Heather
Heron
Ivy
Kingfisher
Lark
Magpie
Newt
Otter
Raven

Starling
Weasel
Willow

Are these not absolutely essential words in the vocabulary of any young person?

The acrostics are powerful poetry in themselves.

Here is the one for Acorn:

As flake is to blizzard, as
Curve is to sphere, as knot is to net, as
One is to many, as coin is to money, as bird is to flock, as
Rock is to mountain, as drop is to fountain, as
   spring is to river, as glint is to glitter, as
Near is to far, as wind is to weather, as
    feather is to flight, as light is to star, as
    kindness is to good, so acorn is to wood.

Aren't these brilliant? And page after page of museum-worthy illustrations too. Thank you, Barbara for thrusting this at me.

So what do you think? Should our dictionaries be revised to keep up with the times? Should we lose words of our childhood? Should a child grow up not knowing what an acorn or a bluebell or a kingfisher are?

The Book is The Lost Words, Published by Anansi Books, (www.houseofanansi.com)

An Unexpected Gift

INGRID THOFT
I recently arrived home after a week away to find a brown paper package among the bills and catalogs in my collected mail.  I opened it to find a small book—the kind with a textured cover and heavy pages—from a friend.

"The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" by Elisabeth Tova Bailey follows the author's recuperation from a serious illness and the companionship she finds in a wild snail.  Initially, the snail lives in a potted plant on her bedside table, but eventually, her health aide creates a terrarium in which he can roam around, snooze, drink from a tiny puddle, and munch on his meals, which, it turns out, he does rather loudly.

The beauty and grace of Tova Bailey's relationship with the snail is that it transforms her experience of being bedridden.  She's physically unable to venture outside or even take a brief walk to her window, but the snail provides a world in which she sees life and change.  This small world gives her hope and reassurance that even when she feels she is stuck—which is how illness and recuperation often feel—she continues to change and participate in the world around her, if only in a small way.  I haven't finished reading the book yet so I'm not sure how their relationship ends, but the lesson of slowing down and accepting nature's clock is a valuable one.

The friend who sent me the book is my junior high school English teacher, who has been an amazing cheerleader of my writing career.  Recently, her brother passed away from cancer, and she told me that toward the end of his life, she would often read "The Sound of a Snail Eating" to him.  It was an activity that brought them both comfort during an exceedingly difficult time.  She was one of my first writing teachers, and I'm tickled that she is still teaching me.

Have you received an unexpected gift that was particularly meaningful?  Do you give a gift that offers the recipient wisdom and comfort?

Valentine’s Day Fun

ROBERTA: I’m calling this post the Jungle Red Writers version of a Valentine’s Day card to readers and friends.

Part one is a website by a Connecticut woman who crams more into her life than you can imagine, including book reviews and the baking of amazing treats. Even if you don’t have the time or inclination to bake, just reading her recipes and looking at the pictures will make you drool: http://www.bakingandbooks.com/

Part 2: I’ve just spent the week with my sister (a nature writer) and brother-in-law (a geochemist) in Tallahassee. They are huge advocates of caring for our planet. My sister passes along Valentine’s Day advice:http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=16160_0_8_0_C

Part 3: In the mood for a romantic movie? Try one of these:http://www.amazon.com/Most-Romantic-Movies/lm/FO11OB2CXTG4

Part 4: Just for fun, Valentine’s Day lyrics by Abc:http://www.tsrocks.com/a/abc_texts/valentines_day.html

Part 5: And here’s a list of the UK Romantic Novelists' Association most romantic books ever written:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
3. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
4. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
6. Katherine by Anya Seton
7. Persuasion by Jane Austen
8. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
9. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
10. Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Jungle Red Writers!