Wandering Hawaiian Volcanic Hotspot - ERUPTION

Eruption on volcanic flank of Kilauea on Big Island

 

Volcanic eruptions in the middle of the Pacific Ocean have been occurring for over 80 million years, forming islands, such as the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, that move along on tectonic plates only to erode and disappear below the water's surface. Meanwhile, the hotspot that supplies the magna shooting up as lava to form new islands migrates at will. The newest Hawaiian island in the making, originally known as Lo'ihi, began its eruption process about 400,000 years ago.

That is one energetic hotspot!

Back in the 1990's is when we first heard about the discovery of the young volcano flowing just south of the Big Island of Hawaii. Exciting news when we thought we'd be watching the growth in real time. Then the timeline of progress for Lo'ihi was announced: it was expected to reach sea level in 10,000 to 100,000 years. Wait time was long, like it's new name: Kama'ehuakanaloa, "glowing child of Kanaloa", the god of the ocean.

  

For above-sea viewing of volcanic eruptions, though, Hawaiian residents have Kilauea, the volcano on the southern flank of the Big Island. Possibly 600,000 years old, Kilauea erupted steadily from 1983 to 2018, its longest active eruption. In July 2024, Big Island earthquakes beneath Kilauea marking seismic activity were felt on O'ahu, a reminder that Madame Pele (goddess of volcanoes and fire and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands) is still active. 

ERUPTION by
Michael Crichton & James Patterson

From my review of ERUPTION: For decades, volcanoes have fascinated me. Seeing Kilauea up close and walking Devastation Trail on the Big Island of Hawaii were memorable lifetime experiences. I knew Michael Crichton would include plenty of satisfying and well-researched information in his story, not only about Mauna Loa but about Madam Pele. As a kama'aina, I wasn't disappointed.

*****

Trigger Your Imagination #WritersBlock

Waikiki - one sure cure for "writer's block"

Living in Hawaii means easy access to beaches and hiking trails, with plenty of distractions that send writers into a quandary about how to divide their time. But "writer's block" is a great excuse to grab a paperback novel or loaded e-reader and head to Waikiki for a bit of sun and relaxation. Something is certain to trigger thoughts of the next best-selling novel.

Recently, I read an entertaining novella a bit out of my mainstream reading genre (and suggested age category of 10-18) Mask of the Vampire by author Drep Code. A member of Hawaii Fiction Writers, Drep is always eager to discuss the background of his writing and the plotline of the story. In Hawaii, he majored in Criminal Justice and Psychology at Chaminade University before writing this intriguing tale of self-discovery.                                                  

Suggested reading age:
10 - 18 years

*****

I am currently reading The Eclipse Killing by Rachel Funk Heller. As a speaker at a recent Hawaii Fiction Writers' meeting, Rachel shared information about her research habits and writing process. Along with a tale of murder set in San Francisco, the novel's investigation deals with astrological symbols and a sex Magik cult. The book's synopsis also promises that every shadow holds a hidden threat. 

As with Mask of the Vampire, I will most likely be reading this novel on a brightly sun-lit lanai rather than late at night behind unlocked doors.

Murder and Magik

Rachel previously published The Writer’s Coloring Book, which is also the eponymous title of her website filled with tools for visual artists to convert their ideas into text. Writer's Coloring Book - Color Your Way to a Complete Novel (writerscoloringbook.com)

*****

ON THE MOVE: USS Missouri #AmReading

USS Missouri with

Arizona Memorial

While relaxing on my lanai and reading an action-filled novel, I came across a passage that stated the battleship Missouri is maintained by the Navy in Bremerton, Washington. My first reaction was, “No it’s not; the ship is docked on Ford Island at Pearl Harbor here in Hawaii.”

On Monday, June 22, 1998, the USS Missouri, nicknamed Mighty Mo, was ceremoniously towed around iconic Diamond Head at the east end of Waikiki. Following a 22-day voyage made with tugboats and a towing bridle attached to the celebrated, ocean-going tugboat Sea Voyage, thousands of us stood on the beach cheering as the decommissioned battleship rounded the extinct volcanic crater. A fireworks display welcomed the ship as it was escorted by local fishing vessels, pleasure boats, and helicopters, slowly making its way along the horizon toward Pearl Harbor’s Poka ‘Ailana (Ford Island), where it would ultimately welcome visitors to its majestic decks.

The battleship’s extensive history dates from the 1940s, and the ship’s quarterdeck witnessed the surrender of the Empire of Japan (which Japan announced on August 15, 1945) ending WWII.

USS Missouri Surrender Plaque on deck of ship

The novel I was reading while relaxing on my lanai was Clive Cussler's “Vixen 03” which had a copyright date of 1975. The USS Missouri was indeed maintained by the Navy in Washington on that date, long before the decommissioned battleship made its final journey across the Pacific to Hawaii. 

The USS Missouri Memorial on Ford Island at Pearl Harbor was officially opened to the public in January 1999 and continues to welcome visitors to its decks.

Beginning of USS Missouri Memorial tour

   

Visitor (me) on deck of battleship USS Missouri

 *****

Dealing With Writer's Block #HawaiiFictionWriters

Members of Hawaii Fiction Writers meet at Aina Haina Library on the first Saturday of each month with discussions arranged and led by author Michael Little. The latest meeting focused on the topic of writer's block. More than a few attending writers have suffered this affliction - regardless of age or depth of experience. Each shared their means of dealing with the phenomenon and most confessed that they have suffered through dry spells where the words would not surface.

However, everyone agreed with one member's contribution of

author Jodi Picoult's saying:

"You can edit a poorly written page; but you can't edit a blank page."

The bottom line is that putting thoughts to paper automatically labels you a writer, the author of your thoughts. Whether you choose to share your efforts with others, through printed publication or other means, has no bearing on your status as a writer. Following Picoult's mantra, putting thoughts and words on paper to edit later, is excellent advice for any author who suffers from writer's block. More on the subject can be read here at Melissa Donovan's blog site:

You Can't Edit a Blank Page | Writing Forward

Stephen King says authors should read for four hours each day and write for four hours each day. Others say you cannot have good output without good input. Researching a topic and reading the work of other authors often alleviates writer's block by shifting the anxiety of "needing to produce" to a more relaxed atmosphere of entertainment and gathering new information. 

*****

the Writer's block

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#IWSG Focus on AI For Writers

Insecure Writer's Support Group:
IWSG Sign-up (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com)

Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a haven for insecure writers of all kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of our fearless ninja leader Alex Cavanaugh. Thank you to the awesome cohosts for the August 7 posting of the IWSG: Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

Insecure Writer's Support Group (insecurewriterssupportgroup.com)

__________

IWSG August 7 question - Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

The easy answer to the above questions, for me, is "No" to all. I have written several novels (two unpublished) plus a book of poetry and never used AI to create or develop the story. My focus now is on writing short stories and the ones I've written for anthologies have all been about topics of personal interest that I could relate to and embellish with research - my favorite part of writing. I look forward to reading the IWSG blog comments today to learn more about AI, programs others use, and success stories.

As for my interest in writing short stories again, I often wonder about length and whether long or short stories are more appealing to readers. Social media sites seem to owe much of their attraction to easy access, short comments, and "photos that tell the story." 

Do shorter attention spans require shorter short stories?

*****

Ending Sentences and Astrology Signs #OnWriting

Evoke emotion by stimulating the reader's imagination

Hawaii Fiction Writers members met to discuss and read ending sentences in written works that illustrate the importance of culminating a story with information that will leave the reader satisfied. Whether someone has taken time to read a novel, short story, or haiku, they want to feel the time was well spent, that the take-away is worth the time.

Good book endings should do as least some of these: 

1. Conclude the story. (Cliffhangers are for chapter endings, not for sequels coming out next year!)

2. Foreshadow the future.

3. Provoke thought. (One of my favorites points.)

4. Evoke emotion (like a stimulating photograph.)

5. Give a call to action. (The final sentence of my genealogical novel encourages "others to write or tell their own stories.")

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During the second half of the meeting, guest speaker Rachel Funk Heller shared information about her soon-to-be-published novel, The Eclipse Killer, involving a series of ghoulish murders in San Francisco. Solving the cases rests with a gifted astrologer and owner of a metaphysical bookstore. 

Rachel's talk culminated in an interesting and informative discussion about tarot cards and astrology, lunar cycles, and the moon's influence upon tides and rivers.

*****