I Am Who I Am

I began my life as a writer long before I ever married and after marriage I continued to use my maiden name professionally while I used my married name socially (to be completely honest, I was married BEFORE local laws allowed a woman NOT to change her name to her husband’s). I wear both names with pride, both Chelle Cordero and Mrs. E. Even my official IDs carry both surnames.

So it took me back a bit the other day when this rather nasty old man accused me of using a different surname than my hubby for some nefarious purposes! I felt like shouting “I’m a professional woman married to a man who doesn’t suffer from a low ego!” — But I didn’t. In this day and age, why should I have to explain why I use the name I do? And I’ve never hidden that I am married to Mr. E. and anyone who knows either of us has never questioned the legitimacy.

 Several of my friends also use their maiden names in their professional lives, some of them never even changed it upon marriage. None of our husbands are so small minded that they begrudge the names we go by. I admit that when my own offspring were being married I did marvel at the marriage license application where not only were women given the choice of what name they would use, but so were the men! (and it was their decision for the man’s surname to be used) Times sure have changed, I for one applaud that.

Of course we’ve had some amusing events because of the “different” names. For several years we both freelanced for a newspaper, I worked as a writer and Mark worked as a photographer. There were several times we were assigned to cover the same subject and while we never hid our relationship, we always introduced ourselves by our working names.

There was one day when I left the room where I had just interviewed a subject to get some info from his business partner; Mark remained in the room taking pictures. Out of the blue our subject asked if Mark thought I might be interested in going out with him… Mark took a moment and then replied, she’s married. The subject thought about it and then asked Mark if I was the type to date anyway, without missing a beat, he said, “Her husband has a bit of a temper.” Mark told me about the conversation as we were driving home (okay, I admit, it was a bit of an ego boost, lol).

So really, what is in a name? Neither woman nor man should have to give up their own identities because they want to share their lives with each other. The choice of which name or combination of names should only be made by the individuals involved. Be proud of who you are and who you’ve chosen to be with, it is nobody else’s business.

Just like breathing ~ 60+ Days to Live, Breathe, & Write

In one of my earliest interviews as a published author I was asked
WHY do I write...

my answer was simple, "I write because I breathe."

When I created my Amazon Kindle Blog in 2009, I named it to reflect my love of writing

Living, Breathing, Writing

The blog received lots of acclaim and there were several subscribers, but when my publisher and I noticed that a few would-be blog users complained that they didn't have a Kindle (the blog was not available on a PC) we decided to make some of the lessons available to them & created

Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day, Volumes 1 & 2

Soon we responded to more demand and created the wildly popular 

60+ Days to Live, Breathe, & Write

print a copy of this sheet

60+ Days to Live, Breathe, & Write

has been used in classrooms and libraries across the nation!

 Author in Residence by J.B. Naylor 

Having Chelle Cordero's blog on my Kindle is like having an author here in residence with me. She gives inspiration, motivation, and best of all, practical advice and solutions. I love the "writing exercises" she offers at the end of each blog, as well as the "writing prompts". I've already used them myself and with my 6th grade writing class!

  A professional author/writer shares her tips by R.M.E.

Just Google Chelle Cordero's name and you will see that she knows what she is talking about - her byline has shown up on many articles all over the country in newspapers and magazines. And she has authored multiple novels and short stories as well.

This is a terrific chance to learn from a pro. Until now only a few have been able to attend a writing workshop led by Cordero because of location, now so long as you have access to the internet or a Kindle you can benefit from her amazing tips. Her workshops have been so helpful.

60+ Days to Live, Breathe, & Write
 is available in Kindle and
in Paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble

A Sample From the Amazon Kindle Blog

Living, Breathing, Writing
[Kindle Edition]

Getting Emotional

Put your reader into the story by making them feel as if they are there. Let them feel emotion. Incite your readers to join you and to experience something through your words. If your reader feels an emotional attachment they will feel as if the words they are reading is reality.

Think of a time, any time, that your community has gone through a defining moment… preferably when you were there. Think of times like severe storms and natural disasters (up to and including hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc). If you have been fortunate enough not to have experienced a natural disaster, think of any incident that might have grabbed news headlines locally (i.e.: fires, accidents, lost child). Use any incident that affected you and your emotions. Choose an event that might have changed things whether for the better or worse, so long as the event made an impact on your community or yourself.

Make sure that the reader can identify with you as a real person. Let them know you have feelings, vulnerabilities, hopes and even fears. You’ll find that a reader will often put themselves in the place of a character, or alongside a character, if they believe it is a real person.

Try throwing yourself into the middle of the incident and write about it from your perspective; if you were in the middle of it, describe it from your perspective doing something different than what you did. Write this story in first person. Feel free to make yourself a hero or have the solution to a problem if you would like. Were you frightened, sad, or  angry? Don’t say it, show it in your actions. If the power went out and it was dark, mention the shadows, bumping into something or someone, or show how frustrated you were because you couldn’t see the exit or find something you needed without light.

Put feelings into retelling this story, reach deep into your readers’ emotions and let them “feel” as if they are right next to you and the events are happening now. Build tension with your words similar to the way filmmakers use background music building to a crescendo as forewarning of something to come. If the event is a storm you might talk about the increasing volume of the howling winds of the increasingly deafening roar of rain hitting the roof. Don’t add too much unnecessary description or be unnecessarily verbose or you will find that your readers will lose interest or get lost in confusing rhetoric.

One way to get emotional is to make a list of emotions that you felt during the event, or believe you would have felt if you were there or circumstances were different. For each emotion listed write down three things you did based solely on the emotion such as crying, slamming a door, covering your ears so you won’t hear, ducking under a table for protection or anything that was a pure emotional reaction. Make sure that you include these actions in your tale, but try NOT to name the emotion.

Writing Exercise:  Practice your point-of-view. Describe the room you are in at this moment and your actions from your point of view (first person: I see, I hear…); then describe the room from the viewpoint of someone standing in the doorway and watching YOU (third person: She sat rocking in the chair…) Remember that in third-person the person describing the room cannot be in YOUR head, they cannot know HOW you feel.

Writing Prompt: Write about your feelings (a.k.a. emotion) for each main color of the rainbow - red, yellow, green, blue and violet. Does any color make you think of a specific memory?

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