What Did We Learn?

By Robin Weaver

Reflecting on 2020, I found myself reexamining Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Given the world’s current problems, old Maslow may be the last thing on your mind. But, isn’t the year we just “endured” a testament to the validity of the theory?

As most of you know, Maslow developed a theory of motivation which states that five categories of need dictate a person's behavior.  According to his findings, higher ideals—ego & self-fulfillment—can only be fully addressed once basic human survival is assured.  Maslow’s categories of needs are:

1.    Prior to COVID, most people in the Western World had climbed high on the hierarchy, past love and belonging, and were searching for Esteem and/or Self-Actualization.  We didn’t have to worry about food or water (physiological); safety (other than the ozone layer, which most people ignored) was pretty much taken for granted by most Americans.

Thanks to Match.Com and Doctor Phil, we’d also conquered romance. And, if we didn’t find our significant other online or at the gym, we bought a dog.  The increasing popularity of self-help books signaled that the masses were in hot pursuit of being our “best self.”

Then, the corona virus showed it’ ugly crown. And, BOOM!

Suddenly everyone (and I do mean everyone) was back at level two.  We weren’t safe. Forget about being a better person, we needed toilet paper to survive. And tons of it.   Forget about belonging (level 3); we started fighting over wearing masks. Those of us who diligently cover our face thought we were demonstrating concern for our fellow humans, but were we?  Did we even try to understand those who were defiant about covering the face?  Did we consider that a world filled with the unknown drives the need to feel in control? Even if that control mean thwarting good sense and not wearing the mask? And be honest, didn’t you secretly worry that a mask isn’t enough?

Once we can again “belong” without Zoom or Skype, perhaps we can self-actualize about what we learned during the year of COVID.  In fiction, conflict strengthens the story and gives the main character an opportunity for growth. Maybe I’m too low on Maslow’s hierarchy to figure out how to improve from this experience, because I’m not finding much good from 2020.  The COVID conflict has strengthened my resolve to appreciate all that I’ve taken for granted in the past.

Just when there’s a vaccine on the horizon, I find something else to worry about.  Something I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I could have met friends for coffee or attended writers’ conferences. I’m now worried about The birds.  I’ve just read that the avian population has dwindled by 29% in the last 50 years. 

Egads! Time for a romance novel.

Happy 2021 everyone. May your new year have you climbing to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy.

A Mask for Meetings?

By Linda Lovely

I need a mask.

I haven’t worn one since grade school when we went Halloween trick-or-treating, making sure to hit Mrs. Bradley’s house early before she ran out of homemade caramels.

No, I don’t want a mask for Halloween 2016. I need one to wear at certain meetings I force myself to attend—meetings that often leave me too irritated to sleep. 

After contemplating this month’s blog topic—masks—I realized one might come in very handy for mandatory attendance events that force me to interact with (or at least listen to) people I believe to be total hypocrites, bullies, or arrogant buttheads.

My problem is I tend to show exactly what I think in such encounters. I know folks who can smile sweetly while face-to-face with someone they despise and then ridicule or curse that person the minute she’s out of hearing range. Other people can appear as serene and blank-faced as a Buddha while listening to someone tell lies or exaggerate to  make their point.

Not me. I’ve tried. Even when I know it’s in my best interests to mask my feelings, I typically fail. Maybe I’m missing some mystery gene that would let me command my facial muscles to smile when my heart and gut are telling me to narrow my eyes and glare.

For better or worse, one look at my face usually tells people everything they want (or don’t want) to know about my mood—joyful, angry, sad, excited, bored, disgusted. Of course, I do have a neutral expression. It usually indicates I’m napping.

My inability to mask my own feelings leads me to be fascinated by the chameleons I encounter who can change their colors at will and react in whatever manner they think will gain them the best advantage with any audience or situation. I study these individuals in real life for a very good reason—they make exceptional villains in fiction.

Guess that’s another reason to attend those meetings I dread. Great research for characters.

Can you mask your feelings? If so, what’s your secret? 

Masks and Victorian Attitudes

by Kristin Holt

All month, Genre-istas have written about masks: insights, motivations, purposes, self-disclosures, cultural elements, and so much more. I've enjoyed broadening my horizons through the eyes of each contributor.

Several of my fellow Genre-istas mentioned masks as a self-protection of an emotional kind. Masks that safeguard and protect, hide the emotional and internal upheavals that are too private to announce. After all, so many of us have been trained from childhood to politely ask "How are you?"--and also taught that 99%+ of those who ask don't really want to know.

As I considered what, if anything, I might add to this well-developed conversation, I looked at the subject of masks through my own ever-present lens: Victorian Era. I'm forever researching nineteenth century attitudes, prevailing societal norms, etc. to ensure my fiction set in the Victorian American West is accurate. Because I write sweet romance, nineteenth century (American) courtship expectations are an ideal focus. I wasn't all that surprised to see human nature really hasn't changed--nor has the American outlook on proper length of getting-to-know-you before tying the knot. Most of all, we recognize dating/courting couples have a mask of sorts--the "dating face", "putting our best foot forward", on our best behavior and all that good stuff, to ensure we don't sabotage a new relationship before it begins.

The following true-to-history excerpt comes from Marriage and the Duties of the Marriage relations, in a Series of Six Lectures, addressed to Youth, and the Young in Married Life by George W. Quinby, published in 1852.

Beware of hasty engagements and hasty marriages... Many a young man and young woman may appear well outwardly; yea, exceedingly beautiful and captivating--especially on a slight acquaintance--while inwardly they are all rottenness and deception.

When young persons--utter strangers--are thrown together as I have described--fall in love--are hastily engaged and hastily married--how can they reasonably expect to know any thing concerning the real character and disposition of each other? Instead of this, every thing is unfavorable to such knowledge. Their courtship is brief and quite all deception. They present only the favorable side in each other's presence. They listen only to the most captivating tones--to "sweet words of undying affection;" for these only are spoken. Every look and every movement is artificial. Thus is the real character of each hidden from the other--not designedly, perhaps--and the parties are deceived.

...in nearly every instance of marriage under similar circumstances, the match proves unfortunate and very unhappy. The parties become sensible they were deceived--criminations and recriminations pass between them--quarrels ensue, and alienation and wretchedness are the consequences.

Another precaution which must be exercised by both parties, in the choice of a companion, that a correct judgement be formed, is not to rely on ball room and other deceptive appearances.

...A prettily painted "piece of artificial workmanship," elegantly dressed and moving with the grace of a sylph in the merry dance, is very fascinating... but let him be cautious. When he marries he should connect himself with a wife; this is what he needs--not a ball room automaton.

Could he follow this charming creature to the place of her abode, hear her coarse words of complaint if vexed, and witness her in the morning with disheveled hair, disordered dress, and pale, haggard, dissatisfied countenance, the golden hues of his thoughts would vanish, the palpitations of his heart cease, and every idea of matrimony be driven from his head.

The entire text is available online:

1. Archive.org
2. Forgotten Books
3. Google
4. National Public Library
5. Amazon

 

Hi! I'm Kristin Holt.

I write frequent articles (or view recent posts easily on my Home Page, scroll down) about the nineteenth century American west–every subject of possible interest to readers, amateur historians, authors…as all of these tidbits surfaced while researching for my books. I also blog monthly at Sweet Americana Sweethearts (first Friday of each month) and Romancing the Genres (third Tuesday of each Month).

I love to hear from readers! Please drop me a note. Or find me on Facebook.

Sweet Romance Appropriate for All Audiences

Website | Email | Newsletter | Twitter | Pinterest | g+| Facebook Profile | Facebook Fan Page | Amazon 

Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC

Behind the Mask #amwriting #villains & #superheroes

Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of SciFi and supernatural stories to engage your emotions.
And I have a thing about masks. Not a good thing. They freak me out. My sister was an avid collector of painted and decorated porcelain masks, a big thing in the 80s when we were teens. She had them on her walls, her clothing, her notebooks...*shudders*

I don't know why she, or anyone else liked them so much. I guess some find them beautiful, or enjoy the artistry of them, or the anonymity mixed with art they confer. I do know it was their blank, impassive expressions and empty eyeholes that disturbed me. Hollow shells behind which anything or anyone could hide. Expressionless miniature faces whose hollow eyes followed me around the room.
Which is probably why the main antagonist in my debut novel Keir wears a mask. The Emissary begins as a blank, anonymous appearing character, but soon the truth behind the mask emerges to the detriment of all.

Webpage

He's not my only masked character though. In my superhero romance When Dark Falls, masks are (naturally) the norm. What's a superhero without the trademark mask? Okay, yeah, any fan of the Marvel films will know a mask isn't obligatory, but it's probably one of the first images that leaps to mind at the word superhero. No? Just me then. :-P

Webpage

My heroes wear them in their superhero guise, while my villain has been described as a 'steampunk Darth Vader' with his 40s inspired gas mask/breathing apparatus and all black clothing hiding a scorched and scarred body. Again, the mask hides a secret as well as enabling a badly burned villain to stay alive and wreak their evil. Bwahahaa!

But all is revealed in the end.

So while I might not like masks myself, I've managed to channel my personal aversion into something constructive that has hopefully both chilled and entertained my readers. I guess it's not such a bad thing after all...
Want to chat? Find me on Twitter as @pippajaygreen or visit me at my website: pippajay.co.uk
(Non-book images courtesy of free images via Pixabay.com)

Masks: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Hi everyone! I am YA author B A Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 

This month, I join the genre-istas in talking about Masks.

Many of us wear them, sometimes even me. (And no, that is not me in the picture, just a friend doing cosplay).

But I do put on a mask almost every day of my life.

My mask is not made of paper, or plastic, or even makeup. I put my mask on every day and go out into the world to convince people life is great and that I’m happy to be among them, and yadda-yadda-yadda. Most of the time, I am successful and my mask hides my pain. 

My work-in-progress, one I have tentatively titled Family Reunion, deals with a young girl wearing the same pretend mask. She puts it on so no one will know how scared she is. Not her mother, or her aunt who is also her best friend, or her brother. 

Certainly not the father she adores who is an officer deployed overseas by the Navy.

Then she meets a boy and gets a glimpse inside his mask. Suddenly neither of them is quite as frightened anymore.

If that sounds like a romance—it isn’t. The girl and boy are only ten. She’s a black child whose family just moved into a predominantly white small town struggling to find acceptance in the school’s top girl clique who call themselves the Fabulous Five. She’s willing to do anything the leader wants to be invited in. He’s a White boy with hemiplegia, a lifelong condition that leaves him unable to control his left arm and leg and has him in a wheelchair. He tries to remain invisible to escape the bullying led by his own cousin, the leader of the Fabulous Five. When the two kids finally learn to see each other and remove their masks, it’s magic.

The same kind of thing can happen in the real world. Only last week I read about some police sitting down and having a heart-to-heart with a group of homeless kids. The discussion got off to a rocky start, both sides were defensive and untrusting. Then one cop admitted that his father was in jail, and the ice began to crack. Another cop angrily noted how bad the kids smell, as if he thought the stink was directed at him, or at least at law-abiding citizens. A kid explained that smelling bad was a deliberate strategy for keeping sexual predators away when you are homeless and have to sleep on the streets.

Not an act of rebellion or an attempt to push good people away. Another mask, worn for protection.

After the police absorbed that shock, a lot of honesty came out on both sides. When we look under the masks we usually find our common humanity.

I admit masks and play acting can be fun and entertaining. That’s the appeal of Phantom of the Opera (I loved Gerard Butler in the movie). It’s the joy of cosplay and the love of Halloween (my personal favorite holiday).

But sometimes we need to use masks to help us survive in a hostile world.

And, unfortunately, the way the Internet can be used to mask identity is a large part of the popularity of social media. A screen name and a phony avatar provides users with a level of anonymity, an Internet mask, that lets them call people like Leslie Jones, Serena Williams and Michelle Obama "monkeys." Masks can enable cowards to attack with impunity and write things they would never say if they knew they would be discovered.

The truth is, I have long been a stranger in a strange land. A black student in a predominantly white college - majoring in Biochemistry and Math, no less when people expected me to be in social work or nursing. I needed a mask, and to practice selective deafness as well. Then a Black woman in a field dominated by White faces. Now a Black author attending mainly White writer's conventions and living in a predominantly White neighborhood. So I have indeed perfected the art of putting on my mask every day before stepping outside my doors. But the mask has been slipping lately. Maybe because constantly pretending is infinitely tiring.  I truly admire the young people of today who feel strong enough to eschew the mask and release their true thoughts and feelings.

Masks by Lynn Lovegreen

RTG Sept.: Masks by Lynn Lovegreen

This month’s theme is masks. I was stumped by this at first—I couldn’t think of any masks in my books, thought I might write about Alaska Native masks but it’s not something I’m an expert on….Then I thought of the kind of metaphorical masks we wear everyday. That is something I do know about.

We all have certain facades or masks we wear in public. For example, at work you might wear the “I’m confident” mask even when you are nervous about giving a presentation. Or you might wear your “I’m strong” mask with your child even though you’d rather go take a nap instead of lay down the law for the fortieth time that day. My point is, we all have to play certain roles or do things out of our comfort zone. That’s just being a grownup. But some masks aren't meant to be worn all the time.

In my case, and many others’, I wear the “I got this” mask when I want to do something myself. Sometimes that turns out fine, and I master the situation on my own. But other times, I should set down the mask and allow people to help me, or even ask people to help. 

An obvious case: when I broke my shoulder and had to spend long days propped up on the couch with my right arm strapped to my side. My husband had to be my chief cook and bottle washer, and did a wonderful job. But while I accepted his help, I hated asking friends to drive me around and do things for me. 

A less obvious case: when I get swamped with too many tasks, I usually say, “It’s okay, I’m just busy,” instead of asking for help and taking things off my plate. I run the danger of ruining my physical or mental health if I keep piling things on, just to save face, as they say, and keep my mask on.

Ladies and gentlemen, please take off your masks when you need to. Ask for help. It’s okay to be human, really. Let’s hold hands as we go through this journey of life and make it easier on ourselves and each other.   

Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com.

Masks and the Theatre by Kristin Wallace

The theme for this month on Romancing the Genres is a fun one…masks. I had to think about what I could talk about and how it might tie in to my writing. But then I remembered that my Shellwater Key Tales series is about rehabbing an old dinner theatre and bringing it to life again.

I’ve always loved acting, and in fact, I was a theatre major in college at Florida State University. I 

wrote the series partly because I wanted to do something that featured a theatre in some way. The RTG theme of masks goes perfectly because of the origins of drama itself. The Ancient Greeks are largely credited with the first form of drama. They would perform plays to honor the Greek god, Dionysus. Among the most famous Greek plays was Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother (without knowing of course).

One of the great traditions of ancient Greek plays was the use of theatre masks. In my fictional Paradise Dinner Theatre, there are even gold Tragedy/Comedy masks mounted above the stage. There were several reasons for the use of masks in Ancient Greek theatre. First, the actors performed in huge outdoor amphitheaters that were built into the sides of hills. There could be as many as 14,000

people attending. This meant those in the audience might be far away from the stage so masks allowed everyone to see. The masks were very elaborate and designed with exaggerated features to help convey emotion to someone sitting way at the top of the hill. Another big reason is that productions might only have a few actors, and masks allowed one person to play many different parts, including female characters. There were no women actors allowed at that time, so men or young boys would play the those roles.

Of course, wearing a mask also came with challenges for the actor. Since they could not use their own faces to convey emotion (other than what the mask represented) they had to rely on their voice and exaggerated gestures. A good actor had to be incredibly gifted at telling the story with his voice and body movement to ensure the audience understood what was happening.

If you want to read a little more about the origins of Greek drama and masks, check out these websites: History of Greek Theatre & History of Masks  

Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. Book 2 in the Shellwater Key Tales, STRAIGHT ON TOWARD PARADISE will launch mid-September. You can also get a jump on your holiday reading by pre-ordering Sweet Christmas Kisses 3, a holiday box set featuring 17 sweet romance novellas for only 99 cents, including FALLING FOR YOU AT CHRISTMAS, a Shellwater Key Tale. (pre-order now, on sale September 27th.) Find out more at her website: Kristin Wallace Author

     

Want a free book? Sign up for Kristin's Newsletter and get a FREE holiday story, Finding You At Christmas. 

Now you see me, now you don't by Paty Jager

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / RTimages

An actor is skilled at putting on a face or expression to match the scene or emotion they need to project in a movie or television show.  But is acting that much different from real life?

I know on more than one occasion, I've sat or stood with a smile on my face and my gaze locked onto the person talking to me, and my mind was far away from whatever the person was saying. It was my "I'm interested in you and what you're saying" mask and yet I could only nod and agree when I came back from my mental trip and the person had finished speaking.

My "I'm having fun" mask is the other I use quite often. Because inside I'm screaming to get out of there and be alone, but on the outside, I have a smile, an intelligent quip, and eye contact. I'm an introvert who enjoys being alone and not so much being the center of attention.

Or the ever popular; talking, while looking around the room seeing nothing but a blur because I'm standing in front of a group giving a presentation. I'll never forget the first time I stood up in front of a large group. It was at a 4-H recognition night. I took the job of 4-H program assistant and told the people hiring me I was not getting up in front of people and talking. Then I found myself in front of 4-H volunteers, 4-H members, and their families. I was presenting Teen Staff pins and my own gifts to them. I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest, my hands were sweaty and half way through I couldn't remember any of the kids names! But I muddled through. And the next thing I knew I was teaching the New Leader workshops.

That experience taught me I could put on a mask and pretend to know enough to talk in front of people. After that I started teaching workshops at writer conferences. Now I can read from my books at signings and events. All the time smiling, staring at the blur in front of my eyes, and not stumbling too badly over words.

We all have masks that we put on for reasons, sometimes, only we know.

I have a book, Improper Pinkerton, where the heroine in the book uses disguises to discover the information she needs as a Pinkerton Agent and to keep herself safe.

 Improper Pinkerton

Steamy historical western romance 

An impetuous Pinkerton agent is out to prove to a righteous US Marshal that she's the best "man" to complete the assignment and the only "woman" who can capture his heart.

Mae Simon is on her first assignment as a Pinkerton operative and determined nothing will stand in her way of accomplishing her task. When the simple assignment turns into a murder and kidnapping, she has to stop hiding behind her disguises and trust a man she’s betrayed.

U. S. Marshal Beck Harlan can’t afford to befriend anyone. Not with a vengeance seeking outlaw killing off his intimate acquaintances. Yet, he falls hard for the French prostitute he talks into being an informant, not realizing she is a Pinkerton operative after the same man.

Buy Link 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 25+ novels and over a dozen novellas and short stories of murder mystery, western historical romance, and action adventure. She has garnered a RomCon Reader’s Choice Award for her Action Adventure and received the EPPIE Award for Best Contemporary Romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters.

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