Writer’s Mail
by Cathy Riddle
February 17, 2011
Found on New York writer Jennifer Sky’s Facebook page, a quote she credits to Sigrid Nunez: Earlier today, a homeless man was on a corner looking through the garbage. Pulled out a newspaper, threw it aside. Pulled out a magazine, threw it aside and said, “There’s nothing good in these cans to read anymore!”
Fifth Tuesday . . .
March 29 at Booked for Murder.
Have you written your writing challenge story? Interview one of your characters – major or minor, you pick – and distill that interview down to a dynamite piece of no more than 500 words.
The writer of the best wins a critique of the first 50 pages of her or his novel by Madison College creative writing instructor John Galligan. And dinner with John at one of our finest restaurants, too. Of course, to get a shot at this you must write your mini-masterpiece, then put up a $10 participation fee . . . the fees pay for the dinners.
Pay your $10 to Clayton Gill, finance man for this enterprise. Second-and-fourthers, email Clayton and he will send you his land mail address.
Deadline for getting your writing challenge story in is March 20. Email it to Jerry Peterson.
Three submissions are already in. Start now. Be a part of the rush.
First-and-third at B&N . . .
Eleven regulars and one returnee from way back – Karen Jankowski – clustered around the tables to take up five big chunks of writing, Tuesday evening. Here’s what was said:
Clayton Gill (chapter 16, Fishing Derby) – Clayton presented Chapter 16 of Fishing Derby. He noted that he had already reworked the opening paragraphs to eliminate the awkward “flash-forward” scene setting, based on the reaction of TWS members to use of this technique in a previous chapter. Greg cautioned about viewpoint shifts throughout the chapter, particularly between West and Miker. He also asked whether the chapter worked to move the plot forward and pointed out that the story still needed character development: “I don’t feel like I know the characters….” Others agreed and Pat wondered, as she had in comments on earlier chapters, who the story was about, Miker or some other character? Kim wanted the Biology Club members to show greater sadness following the loss of their favorite teacher. Pat pointed out that the boys would have physical reactions, hitting and throwing things. The “fish chirp” ring tone of West’s phone would set them off again. Most agreed that West was not likely to present a disaster management lecture during the boat ride. Jerry suggested interjecting the kids’ negative reactions during West’s speech. Clayton asked, should Miker utter his vow in this chapter to catch the giant male catfish? Members recommended saving it for the next chapter.
Jen Wilcher (Hogoshiro Chronicles) — I read from a revised Ch. 5 of The Hogoshiro Chronicles, different from what I sent out (had a last minute splurge of inspiration). Kim liked that I changed the ending scene to Hibiki going after Fusa-san and that Rin-san just happened to be in the way, but still thought Hibiki would simply try to push Rin-san out of the way. I went on to explain that Hibiki was in an “I’m going to mow anyone in my way over” mode and that Rin-san knew Fusa-san would kick Hibiki’s a$$. Clayton wanted to know if the kaikimushi (Hibiki’s bugs) were sentient. Kim wanted to know what happened to Misaki’s kaikimushi when she died. Pat said she liked the chapter even with the technical issues.
Greg Spry (chapter 4, Beyond Cloud Nine) – Kim wondered if the USA would still be using dollars as its currency by the twenty-third century. Jen thought Marie might be too willing to be a sex object. Jerry wanted to know how and why her editor didn’t fall when he lost his balance. The timeline and identity of the characters confused a couple of people. Jen suggested the use of the term air quotes to simplify the explanation of Marie holding up her fingers. Although Marie’s outfit was briefly described, Kim suggested that the description be used to convey her personality. Jen and one other person didn’t like Marie, which suggests that she needs a more apparent endearing quality or fatal flaw. The group wondered if people would still be wearing ties so far in the future? Then it was suggested that I give Marie’s editor a cool holo-tie. We wondered if people would still work in cubicles, and Jerry thought that future cubicle conditions would be even more cramped; then again, perhaps no one would work together in the same building anymore? Would they all just remote in from home and see each-other’s holograms? Marie could grab her editor’s holographic ankles instead of in person. Clayton liked the phrase “busted melodrama like a liquid hydrogen pumping station” and wanted to see more of those types of “future similes” as opposed to references to modern or commonplace things.
Aaron Boehm (screenplay/part 5, Hell Cage) – In the fight scene, some question if Jack would have taken a little longer to get into a physical confrontation, as he may be worried about getting in trouble with the boss, but other pointed out that it worked because it added to the evidence that something weird was going on and effecting people there. Some of the descriptions of actions need to be clarified a little (what exactly does it look like when he stares intensely). Give them something to do during the scene, whether they are pacing or punching something. Ray seems a little quick to extend his hand in a truce after being slapped by a “little shit” unless he is also planning something as well. There needs to be a bit more of a reaction after the head butt, whether it be Ray making some pained noise or Tobe saying something about it. Tobe perhaps should react a bit to the lights flickering, as Ray/Jack wouldn’t really noticed it while they are going at it. Bar scene worked well, especially the bit about Ray giving Tobe crap for not drinking. They need to perhaps have a little bit more of a conversation about the evidence for something supernatural before they leave to “go hunting.”
Jerry Peterson (chapter 7, Thou Shalt Not Murder) – “You’re giving too many details that don’t appear to be related to the mystery,” Greg Spry said, “also you’re withholding information. What’s in the box at the end of the chapter?” Turn the page, Jerry said, the answer is in the next chapter. Karen asked where the second lockbox came from. She didn’t realize it was larger than the first. Pat Edwards said she continues to be fascinated by the characters, wants to see what will happen to them next. “Are the murder and what we’re learning about Teddy Wilson connected or are these two separate cases?” she asked. They’re connected, they do come together, Jerry said.
Who’s up next . . .
February 22: Terry Hoffman (chapter, The Tome), Carol Hornung (scene, Sapphire Lodge), Kim Simmons (chapters, City of Winter), Anne Allen (chapter, A Fatal Homecoming), Holly Bonnicksen-Jones (chapter, Coming Up For Air), and Jack Freiburger (chapter, Path to Bray’s Head).
March 1: Pat Edwards (poems), Chris Maxwell (???), Millie Mader (chapter 24, Life on Hold), Judith McNeil (???), Amber Boudreau (chapter 18, young adult novel), Kim Simmons (chapter 57, City of Summer), and Leah Wilbur (chapter 2, Fog-Gotten).
March 8: Jack Freiburger (chapter, Path to Bray’s Head), Jen Wilcher (???), Kim Simmons, (chapter, City of Winter), and Leah Wilbur (???).
March 15: Amber Boudreau (chapter 19, young adult novel), John Schneller (chapter, Final Stronghold), Jen Wilcher (chapter, The Hogoshiro Chronicles), Cathy Riddle (chapter, Beer Crimes), Jerry Peterson (chapter 8, Thou Shalt Not Murder), and Kim Simmons (chapter 58, City of Summer).
March 22: Randy Haselow (chapter, Hona and the Dragon).
The next latest thing? Magazine subscriptions for iPads . . .
Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism graduate students developed an iPad-only magazine in December for their Magazine Innovation Project. Beaucoup is designed to inspire and entertain professional women, first in Chicago, then in other cities. (Is there one for Madison yet?) Students and the director of the design project—Jennifer Weaver—said they worked hard to focus on content and not the form of delivery. “Our assignment was to utilize the iPad as a storytelling tool for our magazine and not fixat(e) on the capabilities of the device itself.” If you want to see the project and read more about it go here: http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/innovation/page.aspx?id=175621
Plan ahead to pitch your way to publication . . .
Now is the time to start thinking about upcoming conference and workshop opportunities in our area. The Writer’s Institute conference with agents taking pitches takes places April 8-10. See Uwwritersinstitute.org for more info. Also, the annual Write-by-the-Lake-Retreat will be June 13-17 with a full novel manuscript critique available. See www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/writing/wbtl.htm to register.
A reminder that Donald Maass will hold the “Fire in Fiction” workshop at the Holiday Inn at the American Center in Madison on March 11-13. He will also co-teach a master class with bestselling speculative fiction author Nalo Hopkinson. This session will focus on genre writing that transcends category. Who’s Donald Maass? An agent. Read about him at his site maassagency.com. Download his free book on being a career writer!
Great first paragraphs . . .
Former literary agent Nathan Bransford runs a first-paragraph contest on his blog from time to time. He received 1,500+ paragraphs in his most recent contest – 175,000+ words – and he read them all on a weekend.
Nathan Bransford: The most stupendously ultimate first paragraph is by….
anonymous!!! I was born during an electrical storm. They told me when Matilda saw me for the first time the lights flickered, and in that moment of blackness, my sister leaned over and whispered, “I missed you.” Like I had just returned from a trip.
Congratulations to anonymous!!! I wish I knew your name so I could give you proper credit. My publishing friends are already asking about you.
Read the entire post here http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/02/and-winner-is-and-more-about-my-choices.html
Word of the day . . .
Googleganger: n. A person who has the same name as you, and whose online references are mixed in with yours when you run a Google search on your name. Also: Google-ganger. http://www.wordspy.com/words/Googleganger.asp
Example Citation: The point is, when you Google yourself, it’s a bit of a blow to your ego when you discover that: A) your name isn’t unique, and B) other people have done more with it than you. These are your so-called Googlegangers, from the German “doppelganger.” –Casey Phillips, “Reflections in an online mirror,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, April 16, 2010.
Earliest Citation: We’re googlegangers, doppelgoogles, or as a New Yorker magazine cartoon aptly put it: Google doppelgangers. We’re virtual duplicates revealed through the Internet—with the particular help of the supreme search engine Google. –Robin Pascoe, “I had lunch with my Google doppelganger,” The Globe and Mail, November 27, 2003.
Related words: egosurfing, googleability, Googleverse, GooTube.
Final Words . . .
From Solem Asch: “Writing comes more easily if you have something to say.”
Tuesdays with Story 
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