How to raise a bully

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How to raise a bully in a few easy steps:

Teach child that he is entitled to everything and anything he wants. This is a very important step in the creation of a bully. The sooner he learns that his wishes are paramount, the sooner that he’ll stomp around the world like Godzilla on a rampage.

Tell child that she is smarter, stronger, and better than everyone else. Praise her for every little accomplishment, no matter how small or mundane. It’s good for her self-esteem to be given compliments without having to earn them and it will increase her anger and frustration when she hits a bump in the road of life. Her first instinct will be to lash out, which is just what you want when you raise a bully.

If you see your child skip in line, shove smaller children, or purposefully leave a child out of play, be sure to grin sheepishly and look the other way. He will understand that this is your way of giving approval.

But the most important step to raise a bully is to model bullying behavior. Children are hardwired to copy adults. When your child sees you act as if everyone around you is dirt beneath your feet she’s sure to follow suit. So glare, swear, and shove to your heart’s content.

After all, what we need in the world today are more bullies.

Right?

How did that happen?

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In 2003 I decided to write a fantasy adventure about a middle school girl and her three friends who learn it’s possible to travel to other worlds through dreams. It turned into the Behold the Eye trilogy and the first book (Braumaru) was published in 2008.

There’s so much visual in the books that I’ve wanted to see them on the big screen for a while now.

So I did what any self-respecting screenwriter would do, I began adapting them.

I finished the first draft of Braumaru before Christmas. I would have moved on to the rewrites if I hadn’t gotten bogged down with life.

It’s amazing how often life gets in the way of writing!

Things finally calmed down a bit, so yesterday I pulled out the first draft of the Braumaru script.

I use Final Draft software to write my scripts. On a whim I decided to run a report to see which of the secondary characters had the biggest parts.

I was thoroughly stunned when I read the report.

My intention had been to write Vickie, a sixth grade girl from our world, as the main character.  Micah, a fifteen-year-old boy from another world, was supposed to hold a close second position.

So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that Micah has more dialogue and is in more scenes than Vickie.

How did that happen? Vickie was upstaged by Micah, and I didn’t even notice!

Hmm. I wonder what surprises I’ll find when I adapt Cerulea and Viridia?

Rib cage tickles

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Have you ever had a day when you wake up elated?

A day that begins with an excited fluttery feeling that tickles the inside of your rib cage and makes you smile, even before your first cup of coffee?

Today is one of those days, for me at least.

I’ve had days like this before, and they ARE one of the great mysteries of life.

The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of today’s event-to-be might mystify me, but I don’t really care.

Because something big, beautiful, and glorious is going to happen today.

Rib cage tickles never lie.

Not my child

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I’m a pet owner.
I adore my little schnoodle. She’s sweet, cuddly, and very loving.

But, and this is the important part, she’s my dog, not my child.

I’ve heard the term pet parents for years, but hadn’t given it much thought. Until I got a dog.

As the mother of four, let me assure you that children and pets are very different. Very different indeed!

But just to make sure I wasn’t way off course I put my dog through a few little tests.

One thing I love about children is that they usually understand humor at a very young age. I could always make my children giggle.

So I told my dog some of my best jokes.
Nothing. No snort. No giggle. Not even the tiniest of grins.

I then tried to get a volley of witty repartee going with the dog. She didn’t seem to understand the concept. I’d lob a comment at her, and she’d just let it fall flat.

Sigh.

I decided to give her one final test. I sat her in my lap and asked her about her favorite activities and what she wanted to do with her life. She just looked at me with her deep brown puppy dog eyes and licked my hand.

Not exactly the response I’d expect from any of my children.

Then it hit me–what I was really being called when I was referred to as the mom of my dog.
Let me tell you, I was shocked to the core. Shocked I tell you!

Think about it. To be the mother of a dog one must first be a female dog.
Get it now?

So let’s get this straight.
I am not a dog.
My dog is not a human.

People

We are in no way related, which causes no damage to our friendship.

So to anyone who is confused about how species work, I’ll simplify it for you. Dogs are dogs and people are people.
Just as it should be.

Dog

Honestly, if one more person refers to me as my dog’s mother I’m going to barf.
Note I said barf, not bark.

Past or present

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Have you watched the news lately?

Stories about events that happened 50 years ago are told in present tense, as if they are happening now.

While elections results, which won’t be finalized for weeks, are reported in the past tense, as if they were historical facts.

What do you think?

Are reporters time travelers who zip around the timeline at a dizzying speed, so fast that they can’t keep track of time?

Or do they use a crystal ball, which short circuits their brains?

 

Interview

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Feathered Book Quill just posted an interview they did with me.

http://www.featheredquillblog.com/2014/01/interview-with-author-veronica-r-tabares.html

It was an interesting experience being interviewed. The questions were much harder than I expected them to be.

Which made me nervous. What if I answered them wrong?

Anyway…

Here’s to new adventures in a brand new year!

Mega-meanies

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Ironic, isn’t it? I wrote a book about bullies (Gray Zone), and now I’m the target of a couple of them.

No biggie. I’ve been the target of bullies before. I think it’s because I’m blond and smile a lot, so people who don’t know me think I’d be easy to intimidate. They probably even buy into that blond airhead nonsense.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Beware of stereotypes.

It’s a shame, really, that bullies even exist. But I believe, unpleasant as the thought may be, that we’ll never be truly rid of them. After all, bullies have been around since the first caveman stubbed his toe on a rock, then turned and punched the little guy beside him in anger. A bully just can’t accept that he’s the cause of his own pain. He always looks for someone else to blame. (Note: I used ‘he’ as a convenience. There are many female bullies.)

We need to raise our children to take responsibility for their actions and to care about the welfare of others. But that’ll take a while.

What we can change more quickly is the way we react to these mega-meanies. We’ve got to make it uncool to bully, socially unacceptable to pick on someone who seems weaker.

Oh, you think that we’ve done that already? Think again!

Name the last movie or television show that glorified good manners or gentleness. Come on, I’m waiting.

Not easy, is it? Especially since revenge, barbed comments, and punches are what bring cheers from the audience.

Funny that these are all things that the bully dishes out.

Is he waiting for his applause?




A Gray Zone review

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The first official book review for Gray Zone just got posted. And the honor goes to…

(drum roll)

…Feathered Quill Book Reviews!

I’m glad, really, since they pride themselves on giving honest reviews and they seem to like the book.

To read the entire review you’ll need to visit it on their site: Gray Zone Book Review.

It ends with:

“There is a great deal to be said for this book. Cyber-bullying has been a topic of conversation and debate for years now, with tragedy being one of the results for many young, talented, but frightened and exhausted teens. The story of Autumn and Sophie Rose is poignant, to say the least. And the writer has done a brilliant job of creating a story that is loving, educational and sorely needed. 
Quill says: An excellent read for both young adults and adults.”

Did anyone else catch the word ‘brilliant’? I think it’s my new favorite word!

To really write

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I haven’t been able to write since the whole demented leprechaun incident happened.

Oh, I don’t mean this kind of writing, a blog.

I mean the throw-yourself-into-another-world-so-deep-that-phones-don’t-ring-and-dogs-don’t-bark kind of writing. The kind where you nearly drown in an ocean of imagination, and it’s only after a massive struggle that you manage to break through the surface into reality, gasping for air.

The kind of writing that is an adventure all by itself. The type that revives the soul and rekindles that spark that so often bursts into spontaneous laughter.

I miss it, desperately. But there is simply too much clutter in my brain and too many items on my “To Do” list.

I can buckle down and clear off my “To Do” list, but the clutter in my brain is another story. My head simply does not like to be swept!

So I guess my dive into the ocean of imagination needs to wait just a bit longer. But only a bit!