Marian Scadden, author
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For the love of a job

10/15/2015

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A couple of years ago, I thought we were going to shut down our theater business, or at least let it ease out of existence, like the air in an air mattress when two not-thin people lie on it all night. (heehee). Well, dang it. The theater business has not disappeared. I've got after-school classes I'm teaching; classes for a home school group; a production I'll be directing; scripts I'm writing; and performances. Well then OKAY. I LOVE MY JOB! There's something wonderful going on in the universe when you get to work at what you got a degree in decades ago.

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Reality Check

6/12/2015

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The other day while spending time on WasteBook--I mean, Facebook, I realized all I was doing was scrolling mindlessly, looking at beautiful photos and wishing I could see something like that, and watching videos that were tidbits of nothing (unless they were of family). And I had to ask myself:

Where would you like to live? In the virtual world* or in the real one? If you lived in the real one, what kind of real fun could you have? What kind of real people could you meet or help or enjoy? What real dawns and sunsets would you see vs. other people’s pictures? If you take yourself out of the virtual world, what could you really accomplish?**

*Virtual world by definition would be UNREAL. That would not be a good place to live.
**I love books and I don't find that reading them is a waste of time but time well-spent, even though the books may be fiction.




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This is a photo taken by me, of my baby, while we were at the beach. Yay! Reality!
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I READ TEEN BOOKS

2/4/2015

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I'm not a teen but I read a lot of teen books. Why am I confessing this? Because I've heard too many people say something to the effect "It's good that teens are reading and then they can move to better books" or worse is "those books are just eye candy." (Gadzooks! Are you kidding me?! Books that are just eye candy are being read! It means kids and teens are reading! It means they're getting something into their brains, such as vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation, characterization, plot, and meaning to think about, not to mention a love for reading! And what do you define as eye candy anyway?! Non-fiction?! Anything that doesn't teach something deeply important?! Or any book that isn't considered a "classic"? Or maybe the truth is, any book or genre that YOU don't care for! Forgive my rant. I'm touchy about this subject because someone called Fablehaven by Brandon Mull--a book I liked--eye candy...it was a wonderful & thick YA fantasy; I do not define that kind of book as eye candy. And others are welcome to think otherwise; I'm still going to enjoy the book. Let's carry on, shall we?) Generally, I think when they say "better books," they mean adult books and classics. 

I tend to read YA (Young Adults) or MG (Middle Grade) because those books are shorter which fit into my busy life. Although I've read the romantic teen books, I'm not into those; I'm often skimming the "Oo, I'm in love with him" parts so I can get back to the story. I believe the first book in the Harry Potter trilogy was considered MG. I just listened to the audiobook Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede which would be considered a YA. But in the third book of the series, the main character is now 20. There's a new book category called "New Adult" and perhaps that's where this third book fits in. 

Like adult books, teen books can be deep or shallow, well-written or not, come in a variety of genres--fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary fantasy, contemporary, romance, mystery, etc. There are many teen books which address some hefty issues. Then there is the fluff. Then there are the teen books which are humorous and deep or humorous and fluff. Teen books aren't just for teens and they're not just a stage to get through. Many times, teen books are better written than adult books because authors have to instantly grab the attention of those in that age-group--not an easy task. On top of that, the books have to KEEP their attention. I find books written for adults tend to ramble on and on. I notice that in both non-fiction and fiction. I often wonder if adult books tend to be longer because authors and readers feel they aren't getting their money's worth if they aren't reading a tome. I enjoy good books, no matter who they're "geared" for. (I suppose if I like a book then it's geared for me...?)

"But you don't have to take my word for it." (Name that show about books from long ago. And can you name the actor who said it?) Try a YA novel. If you're unsure what to pick, ask your librarian. Or ask me! Tell me the genre you tend to read and I'll recommend a YA in that genre.
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If You weren't open, I wouldn't have to be here

12/2/2014

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Funny stories are funnier when they're true:
A department store employee was helping frantic customers on Thanksgiving Day (Black Friday came on a Thursday this year). One upset woman confronted him.
"You shouldn't be open on Thanksgiving Day!"
Um, thinks employee.
"If you weren't open I wouldn't have to be here!"
Um.
"I could be at home, having dinner with my family!"

Um, wonders this writer. 

It never occurred to me that people believe that Black Friday Events must be attended. Is it because of that kind of mindset that many people think Christmas is so commercial? Um. Just in case this changes anyone--YOU HAVE THE POWER IN YOU! Yes, indeed. You can CHOOSE not to go to sales events. You can CHOOSE to have a simpler Christmas. We do, have for years. Anyone have some tips for a less-commercialized Christmas? Share them!
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Lost, in A Good Way

8/27/2014

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I'd rather not get lost in the woods, so I stay on well-marked trails. I sometimes get a little disoriented when I'm driving to a location I've never been before but a GPS tends to be a fairly accurate guide.

I love to get lost in what I'm doing. Yesterday, I spent all day formatting my e-book. I didn't mean to. I started at 8 and figured I'd be done by noon; I've formatted before, not that hard, just a bit tedious. When I wasn't done by noon, I thought I'd be done shortly thereafter. At 3 pm, I wondered if I could get finished by 5 pm. At 11 pm, everything was complete, including uploading the cover and information (blurbs, pricing, isbn, etc) for pre-orders on Smashwords and Amazon. I almost forgot to eat. I didn't notice the comedy my daughter was watching in the other room. It would startle me every time the phone rang. It surprised when I realized I'd worked from 8 am - 11 pm without many breaks.

But I've done that before -- lost in a craft project, directing project, cleaning project, or a really good book! (The really good book is generally a graveyard shift schedule, such as 9 pm - 3 am). That lost thing helps me get something accomplished. I suppose that's being "In the Zone" or "In the Flow". I'll start calling it "Lost in a Good Way," "Lost" for short, or "LIAGW" because we all love acronyms, right?

How do you get LIAGW?

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Shake it up

12/31/2013

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Something good happened when things changed. Ack! Changes! Scary. Rather than write up a whole different post about it, go to my other blog (http://encountersinwritingandtheatre.blogspot.com/2013/12/shake-it-up.html) to read it. I'll have to see how I can apply my own blog to my writing...and life. (Eek.)
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Are We Having Fun Yet?

5/4/2012

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YES! yes I am!
Today Deely hosted at the Salem Chamber of Commerce greeters, a business networking event and as she talked about her business, she said, "Sometimes when I ask 'how are you doing?' people respond, 'okay.'..." I knew where she was going with this because I've had it happen to me!
"How are you?" I ask someone.
"Okay," they say tentatively.
"Oh, dear," I usually respond. "That sounds like maybe you've been having a bad day?" I question.
"No," they say.
And that's it. I guess they're just waiting for the bad news, or the awful event, or a meteor to fall on their head.
I figure this:
As of right now, I'm alive. I made it to 50 and I know of a lot of people who have not. I'm not boasting; it's just a fact.. Maybe my turn will be soon, but I''m not going to plan for it right this minute. As of right now, this minute, I'm still able to get outside and hike. My husband and I hiked the other day on a trail that was "intermediate." Well, heck, we made it--red faced, sore-kneed and tuckered out, but we did it. As of right now, I'm able to play on my computer--facebook, this blog, email--geez, I HAVE a computer. How amazing is technology!
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I got to do my favorite thing in the whole wide world--theater stuff. I'm directing one play, rehearsing for another, and making plans for the CET Mime Troupe. This morning at greeters, we got teased--it was hilarious! This afternoon, we watched a movie--love movies! This evening, I got to do another favorite thing in the whole wide world--I edited over 20 pages in my book. And now I'm going to read in bed--because as of right now, I can! And reading is another favorite thing of mine.
Last week was similar--there were friends to laugh with, my husband to celebrate our 30th anniversary with, games, directing, rehearsing, reading.
So, how am I?
As of right now, as of this minute, I am GREAT!
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    Marian, that's me!

    I love stories! I love to read fairy tales, fables, stories from around the world. I especially love scifi and fantasy. And I like to write. And watch movies. And play board games. And do theatre things.

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Marian Scadden, author of stage plays, fiction for young people, and other stuff