Writer’s Mail for November 10, 2010
by Jen Wilcher
“A good character is someone who says funny stuff and who has a weird, whacked-out lifestyle. So, really, we wondered, ‘What if The Bachelor were a crazy lunatic?'” – Mark Cronin
FIFTH TUESDAY!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at Kim Simmon’s place. BYOC (Bring your own chair. We have a few volunteers supplying extras, but to be safe, bring one you like!)
We need someone to bring coffee & preparation materials (Kim does not have a coffee maker) and we need someone to bring soda. Otherwise, bring yourself and a dish to pass!
The writing theme:
“Christmastime is here, by golly.
Disapproval would be folly.
Deck the halls with hunks of holly.
Fill the cups, and don’t say ‘when!'” (-Tom Lehrer)
In 250 words or less – what is THE HOT CHRISTMAS ITEM this year? Silly battery operated hamsters are so last year – what’s the big thing this year? A cell phone that levitates above water when it falls out of your pocket in the bathroom? An automatic mute button that knows which pundits you can’t stand and silences them before you hear a word? Or a gizmo that switches the speaker-thumpin’ cars driving through your neighborhood at 2am from Snoop Dogg to Mozart? What’s the pitch?
Tuesday night at Barnes & Noble
We were reminded that we need to find some place to meet December 14th and 28th. There were murmurings of a place that offered wine and beer – if someone in 2nd & 4th can make those arrangements that would be great. Otherwise, I’ll contact the folks at Ashman Library and see if they’ll put up with us.
Kim Simmons read from her novel, City in Winter: Anne wanted to know why James assumed the phrase “something’s happened” automatically translated into “Ryoko is dead.” Phrase it so “something awful has happened” or some other clue that it’s a significant event. Holly felt the word “permanent” was used in an odd way (“before something permanent happens”). Look out, too, for the cliches. Andrea felt the death of the treefox, which was a dramatic event, could be even more so.
Randy Haslow read from Hona and the Dragon: Dan felt the scene was nicely tightened up. Annie really liked the descriptions, such as “breath smelling like hot baked stone.” Kim had some trouble with the names – they were hard to pronounce, and she kind of glossed over them while reading. Holly pointed out some repeated words. Terry likes that Firebreath is very much in control and anticipates a future weakness, which Randy promises is coming.
Annie Potter read a piece called “The Queen Maker”: Holly really liked the description of older brother Michael. A great person. Terry wanted more emotion from young Annie on the event itself – what was it like to wear the green dress, ride in the parade, etc? Anne suggested putting the sports chatter in italics, and Jack pointed out some of the words used were a bit too formal and grown-up for young voices.
Carol Hornung wrapped up a scene from Sapphire Lodge: Kim mentioned that Sheriffs wear their radios on their shoulders, so they can tap the button and talk, not having to worry about holding the thing. Jack and Andrea wanted to see more police terminology, especially from cops in such a small town environment who don’t often deal with an attempted murder. Saffi should also be considered something of a suspect – Donovan lets her go a little too quickly. And more variety with the colors!
Jack Freiburger read a storm scene from Path to Bray’s Head: Terry wanted to feel more of the storm as the boys ran from the house to the boat. Annie suffered some confusion with all the ropes about, and Carol pointed out that you can’t jump into ten degree water! You can jump into really cold water on a ten degree day, and Terry wanted to know more about what the shock of that was like. Also, watch out for duplicate words.
Holly Bonniksen-Jones read a scene from Coming Up For Air: Anne said there was too much artwork in the scene, but be sure to keep Mountain Dew Man! Lots of discussion on the character of Liza – why is she acting this way? Why does she want David’s approval so desperately? Does she need a mental smack-down? If she develops some self-awareness about her situation, that could help. Andrea made the observation that Liza simply isn’t honest at all anymore. This takes away from her likeability.
COMING UP NEXT
November 16:
Greg Spry (short story scene, “Goodbye Mars”)
Pat Edwards (poems)
Chris Maxwell (rewrite, short story)
Cathy Riddle (chapter, Beer Crimes)
Aaron Boehm (chapter 3, Hell Cage)
Kim Simmons (chapter, City of Summer)
November 23
Dan Hamre, “Chimera Daycare”
Terry Hoffman, scene, The Tome
Anne Allen, scene, Homecoming
Jack Frieburger, scene, Path to Bray’s Head
Kim Simmons, scenes, City in Winter
Randy Haslow, scene, Hona and the Dragon
November 30: Fifth Tuesday
December 7:
Clayton Gill (chapter, Fishing Derby)
Justin Schober (chapter 1/part 2, sci-fi novel)
Jen Wilcher (chapter The Hogoshiro Chronicles)
Amber Boudreau (chapter 17, young adult novel)
Jerry Peterson (chapter 5, Thou Shalt Not Murder).
December 14
Holly Bonniksen-Jones, Coming up for Air
Kim Simmons, City in Winter
Jen Wilcher: Chapter The Hogoshiro Chronicles
Carol Hornung, Sapphire Lodge
Anne Allen, Homecoming
Annie Potter, memoir
Jack Frieburger (stand-by)
First Jobs of Famous Writers
From http://davidkubicek.wordpress.com/
Here’s a look at jobs held by a few famous writers before they were famous. Some of them eventually were able to write full-time, others never sold enough books and had to keep their day jobs, and others like Scott Turow (who continues to practice law) and John Grisham (who remains interested in politics and considered running for U.S. Senator from Virginia in 2006) maintain their non-writing career interests.
Dashiel Hammet: The author of hard-boiled detective stories and novels started out as a private detective. His first case? To track down a thief who had stolen a Ferris Wheel.
John Grisham: Author of such legal thrillers as The Firm and The Pelican Brief, is an attorney who, from 1983 to 1990, served as a Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
Jack London: The author of White Fang, The Call of the Wild, and The Sea Wolf had a variety of experiences, including oyster pirate, gold prospector, and rail-riding hobo.
Langston Hughes: One of the first African American authors who was able to support himself by writing, he was, according to legend, discovered by poet Vachel Lindsay while working as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Hughes had dropped his poems beside Lindsay’s plate. In his poetry reading Lindsay included several of Hughes’s poems, which resulted in journalists clamoring to interview the “busboy poet.”
William Carlos Williams: The poet and fiction writer was an excellent pediatrician and general practitioner, although he worked harder at his writing than he did at medicine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: The American poet, philosopher, and essayist assisted his brother William in a school for young women they ran out of their mother’s house. He later was a minister and lecturer.
Henry David Thoreau: He began as Emerson’s handyman, moved on to selling vegetables, returned to the family pencil business, was a tutor and a teacher.
Nathaniel Hawthorne: The author of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables was a weighter and a gauger at the Boston Custom House, which housed government offices for processing paperwork for the import and export of goods. Later he was Surveyor for the districts of Salem and Beverly as well as Inspector of Revenue for the Port of Salem. He also wrote a campaign biography of his friend, Franklin Pierce, in which he left out some key information, such as Pierce’s drinking. On his election, Pierce rewarded Hawthorne with the position of United States consul in Liverpool.
Dan Brown: Before striking gold with Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and The Lost Symbol, he was a high school English teacher.
Zane Grey: Early 20th century author of such popular novels as Riders of the Purple Sage, he would eventually publish nearly 90 books and sell more than 50 million copies worldwide. After years of rejection, he sold his first book at age 40 and was able to give up his day job as a dentist, a job that he hated.
J. K. Rowling: After her daughter was born and she separated from her husband, the author of the Harry Potter series left her job in Portugal, where she taught English as a second language, and returned to school to study for her postgraduate certificate of education (PGCE) so she could teach in Scotland. She completed her first novel while on welfare.
Mary Higgins Clark: After graduating from high school, she was secretary to the head of the creative department in the internal advertising division of Remington-Rand, a business machines manufacturer. She took evening classes in advertising and promotion and was promoted to writing catalog copy–future novelist Joseph Heller was a coworker. She also modeled for company brochures with aspiring actress Grace Kelly. Her thirst for adventure led her to become a stewardess for Pan American Airlines where she was on the last flight allowed into Czechoslovakia before the Iron curtain cut off east from west.
Harlan Ellison: The man who would later distinguish himself as a preeminent speculative fiction and mystery writer held many jobs before he was 20 years old, including tuna fisherman, itinerant crop-picker, hired gun for a wealthy neurotic, nitroglycerine truck driver, short order cook, cab driver, lithographer, book salesman, department store floorwalker, and door-to-door brush salesman.
Scott Turow: The author of such best selling novels as Presumed Innocent and Reversible Errors, still practices law as a partner of the Chicago firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, although on most of his cases he works pro bono.
Nicholas Sparks: After graduating from college the author of such best sellers as The Notebook, Dear John, and The Last Song tried to find work in the publishing industry and applied to law school but had no luck in either area. So he embarked on other careers, including real estate appraisal, waiting tables, selling dental products by phone, and starting a manufacturing business.
Stephen King was a high-school history teacher, and used to write in the furnace room (closet) of his trailer.
Michael Blake, the author of “Dances with Wolves”, had just been fired from his job as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant when Kevin Costner called him to ask if he would be interested in writing a screen play of his book.
Barnaby Conrad was an amateur bull fighter and the personal assistant of Sinclair Lewis.
Robin Cook was a doctor, but that is no surprise.
Graham Greene was a spy. (Or more politely, involved in intelligence.)
Ian Fleming was “involved in intelligence.” And in addition to the James Bond series, he also wrote the children’s book “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, which became a Disney movie. He got the title from a “dirty” WW I soldiers’ song.
Scott Adams (Dilbert) was an engineer for Bell Telephone. He worked there even after he became a famous cartoonist, until he was laid off “for reasons that had nothing to do with his activities as a cartoonist.”
More…
William Carlos Williams – doctor
Wallace Stevens – insurance executive
Anton Chekhov – doctor
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. – doctor
Boris Pasternak – doctor
S. Weir Mitchell – doctor
Somerset Maugham – doctor
Joseph Wambaugh – policeman
Larry McMurtry – bookseller
John Dunning – bookseller
Matthew Arnold – inspector of schools
Geoffrey Chaucer – diplomat
Isaac Asimov was a professor of biochemistry.
Word Spy
hobby bobby n. A volunteer or part-time police constable, particularly in Britain.
Example Citations:
But like everyone else in Britain, London’s Metropolitan Police Service is tightening its belt. Aspiring bobbies can still join the force — as long as they don’t expect to get paid…The announcement has drawn ridicule from both commentators and opposition politicians. “Do we really want to be policed by hobby bobbies?” harrumphed one headline. —Katharine Hamer, “Scotland Yard’s budget woes create ‘hobby bobbies’,” The Globe and Mail, November 9, 2010
Kent Police is looking for volunteer police officers — only days after it announced 500 of its paid officers could lose their jobs. The Special Constabulary in Kent is made up of 285 so-called “hobby bobbies” who police Kent for free and enjoy the same powers as normal police. —”Police want volunteers after announcing job cuts,” Kent and Sussex Courier, September 10, 2010
Earliest Citation:
The same tendencies were apparent to responses to my own questions in 1975/1976 and it is interesting to reflect upon the labels applied to those in police community relations work: ‘hobby bobbies’, ‘chocolate bobbies’, to which another might be added that has only recently come to my ears: ‘immunity constable’. —David Watts Pope, Norman L. Weiner, “Modern Policing,” Routledge Kegan & Paul, October 1, 1981
Notes:
The use of the word bobby to refer to a British police constable, dates to at least 1844. The term is probably an allusion Sir Robert (so, “Bobby”) Peel, who was the British Home Secretary when the Metropolitan Police Act was passed in 1828.
Tuesdays with Story 
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