Writer’s Mail
May 8, 2011
by Pat Edwards
In honor of our members who are also mothers. . .
“On Mother’s Day I have written a poem for you. In the interest of poetic economy and truth, I have succeeded in concentrating my deepest feelings and beliefs into two perfectly crafted lines: You’re my mother, I would have no other!” ~ Forest Houtenschil
Mothers in Literature
From the classics to current literature, Mothers have been both lauded and derided. Medea threw her children off the roof – killing them was the best way to hurt her estranged husband Jason; Alcmene dipped Hercules in the river Styx to give him god-like protection; Joan was a great closet organizer (before there were TV shows dedicated to decorating) in Mommie Dearest; Rick Bragg’s mother, Margaret, kept the family together long before Al-Anon existed in All Over but the Shoutin’ .
There’s an interesting list from the Cincinnati library http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/booklists/?id=mothers
Amy Wilson has a list to make you admit, hey, maybe my mom wasn’t so bad after all! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-wilson/psycho-moms_b_858838.html#s275510&title=Her_Last_Death
And no plagiarizing! Six word memoirs that cleverly talk “mother,” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-smith/mothers-day_b_853780.html#s275252&title=Shawna_Hausman_
Who’ s your favorite literary “mom?”
Fifth Tuesday . . .
May 31, yes, less than four weeks away . . . second-and-fourth group hosts us at the Grumpy Troll, 105 South 2nd Street in Mount Horeb. The usual starting hour, 7 p.m.
No potluck this time. Order off the menu when you arrive. Do bring a couple extra dollars to throw in the hat because we will be buying something to each and a beverage for our two special guests, local authors who will be telling us about their paths to publication.
The writing challenge . . . yes, we have one. In the spirit of the Six-Word Biography that was popular a year or so ago, write a six-word biography. Or a six-word character study. Or a six-word book synopsis! Bring a copy to read and send an electronic copy to Carol Hornung to be compiled for Writer’s Mail (or to be read in your absence should you not be able to be with us that night).
The Troll is not on a bus route, so several of our writers need rides. Yes, carpool and save the environment. Send a note to Tthe group if you need a ride or can provide a ride.
We do need to know who’s coming, so email your reservations to Jerry Peterson. We love guests, so bring a spouse, a friend, or a kid from down the street.
Who’s up next . . .
May 10: Kim Simmons (chapter, City of Winter), Jack Freiburger (chapter, Path to Bray’s Head), Kime Heller©Neal (chapter, Feathered), Randy Haselow (chapter, Hona and the Dragon), Jen Wilcher (chapter, The Hogoshiro Chronicles), and Holly Bonnicksen©Jones (chapter, Coming Up for Air).
May 17: Kime Heller-Neal (chapter 2, Feathered), Judith McNeil (???), Millie Mader (chapter 26, Life on Hold), Jen Wilcher (chapter 7, The Hogoshiro Chronicles), Greg Spry (chapter 6, Beyond Cloud Nine), and John Schneller (chapter, Final Stronghold).
May 24: Leah Wilbur, (???), Kime Heller-Neal (chapter, Feathered), Jack Freiburger (chapter, Path to Bray’ s Head), Kim Simmons (chapters, City of Winter), and Jen Wilcher (chapter, The Hogoshiro Chronicles).
May 31: Fifth Tuesday at The Grumpy Troll in Mount Horeb, second-and-fourth group hosts.
June 7: Randy Haselow (chapter, Hona and the Dragon), Amanda Myers (???), Aaron Boehm (screenplay/part 8, Hell Cage), Kim Simmons (chapter 60-61, City of Summer), Pat Edwards (poems), and Jerry Peterson (chapter 12, Thou Shalt Not Murder).
How Nathan Bransford writes . . .
Former literary agent Nathan Bransford’s middle-grade novel, Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe, comes out next week. That set him to writing this post for his blog.
When I took creative writing classes in college, I was always fascinated by hearing about how other writers write, especially the famous ones: Whether they wrote in bursts or whether they planned, whether they were sober or intoxicated, depressed or happy, whether they wrote at night or during the day, daily or only when inspiration hit, whether the writer is a creative and flighty artist-type or a studious hard worker, whether they outlined or figured it out as they went along, whether they showed signs of genius early or came to it late.
When I got out of college and started working in publishing, I realized there is no such thing as a “writer’s” personality type or a universal system that works or anything close to resembling one best way to write. Everyone does it differently.
There’s only one thing professional writers have in common: They get the job done, one way or another.
So please don’t take this post as how I think everyone should write. This is just the process that works for me. Some of these styles or tips may be useful to you… or not! The only way to know is to try them out. Just know that there’s nothing “weird” about the way you write. As long as you get the job done you’re a writer.
Brainstorming ideas
My biggest ideas usually come to me in a flash, and from there I round them out one step at a time. I’m drawn to high concept book ideas both as a result of my personal taste but also because in an age of great distraction I feel like it helps if you can describe your book in a sentence.
Read the entire post at http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/05/how-i-write.html
The Last Word
“Your responsibility as a parent is not as great as you might imagine. You need not supply the world with the next conqueror of disease or major motion-picture star. If your child simply grows up to be someone who does not use the word “collectible” as a noun, you can consider yourself an unqualified success.” ~Fran Lebowitz, “Parental Guidance,” Social Studies, 1981
Tuesdays with Story 
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