Tuesdays with Story

Tuesdays with Story
WRITER’S MAIL for December 10, 2011

Good Words from Way Back
“I never think at all when I write. Nobody can do two things at the same time and do them both well.” –Don Marquis (1878-1937), a New York newspaper columnist, humorist, playwright, short-story writer, and poet who published the opinions of a cockroach known as Archy. Archy had been a poet himself in a previous life and communicated with Marquis by scampering over the typewriter keys while the columnist slept. For more, see http://donmarquis.com/. Thanks, Jerry!

December 6 Meeting: Sex in the City (Library)
Ten First-and-Third members plus guest Lisa McDougal ambled into the Alicia Ashman Branch Library’s community room for an evening of readings replete with sex scenes and more, including holiday cookies, Millie Mader’s rewrite of the ending for Chapter 30 of her novel Life on Hold, Chapter 1 of Kim Simmons’ fantasy novel City of Autumn, and . . . well, here’s what we covered, courtesy of the meeting’s scribe, Amber Boudreau:

Rebecca Rettenmund starts us off with a chapter from her Cheese Logue. Kim thinks the escaped curds are “cute” and enjoys Rebecca’s descriptions, which also are “cute” – but not in a trite way as Rebecca tells the story in such a familiar fashion. Pat Edwards thinks when Rebecca goes back to edit, she’ll get rid of extra words. But Pat she really likes the piece and thinks the best memoirs are the ones where the author opens up and shows themselves “curds and all.”

Liam Wilbur shares Chapter 5 of his novel Scott & Rory. Rebecca suggests having the teacher push the students to say something about their religion. Pat wonders how the main character would mature over time emotionally, especially as he keeps dying over and over. She suggests that there should be some explanation, perhaps hormones getting in the way. Jen Wilcher reminds members, “It’s only Chapter 5….” But others note, “Yes, it’s Chapter 5 and we should know more by now.” Could the main character reveal some personal details specific to the history he’s lived? Kim and Pat think the character should be a little jaded, and that there should be some world-weariness there, too. Jerry Peterson asks whether the character is worried about getting killed off again. Pat thinks that without the fantasy aspect, the story would make a good YA (young adult) novel. Greg Spry has questions about “the big picture” – including what the main character strives for and why — because the story so far seems disjointed.

Millie Mader reads a one-page edit of her last chapter. Pat thinks the chapter now has a much better ending. Jerry thinks the male character would not use the term “pregnancy.” Some members question a line or two, but think Millie definitely improved the chapter.

Kim Simmons reads Chapter 1 of The City of Autumn. Millie thinks the chapter is “really pretty writing” but she doesn’t know what’s going on. Does the story take place in a parallel universe or what? Pat doesn’t know either, but the reading only goes three pages deep, so she hopes she’ll understand soon. Also, Pat notes, the mist does a lot of hissing. Does the chapter need it? At this point, in this manner, it strays dangerously close to becoming trite and seems more like stage direction. Rebecca doesn’t know what’s going on either. Kim has to explain to all of us. Pat reminds us all that it’s only two pages. Jerry doesn’t know who to cheer for. The first character we’re introduced to is the bad guy, not the main character.

Greg Spry shares Chapter 15 of his science fiction novel Beyond Cloud Nine. Millie really likes the end of the chapter and how the main character opens up. Rebecca enjoys it too, but finds the exchange between sisters “a little hokey” in places. Judith McNeil enjoys the set up. Pat wonders whether the character is to the point where she admits she has a drug problem right away or denies it still. Pat also comments on Greg’s use of verb tense. Liam wonders whether the main character would get all flustered in front of dignitaries.

By the end of the evening, guest Lisa McDougal converted to member Lisa McDougal. She’s already written the manuscripts for three novels but lost one in a computer crash. Her email address is gurlnlifemagazine@yahoo.com There is a story there.

Thanks Amber!

Who’s Up Next?
December 13: Holly Bonnicksen-Jones (chapter, Coming Up for Air), Liam Wilbur (chapter, Fog-gotten), and Jack Freiburger (?). Note: This Second-and-Fourth meeting takes place at Sundance.

December 20: Judith McNeil (more of “The Waldorf Hysteria”), Aaron Boehm (story ideas), Millie Mader (Chapter 31, Life on Hold), Lisa McDougal (?), Pat Edwards (poems), and John Schneller (chapter, Final Stronghold). Note: This First-and-Third meeting takes place at the Alicia Ashman Branch Library. Who’s bringing the cookies?

January 3: Rebecca Rettenmund (Chapter 3, The Cheese Logue), Liam Wilbur (Chapter 6, Scott & Rory), Kim Simmons (?), Amber Boudreau (?), Lisa McDougal (?), and Jerry Peterson (Chapter 20, Thou Shalt Not Murder). Note: First-and-Third Group returns to Barnes & Nobel Westside.

January 31: Fifth Tuesday at Booked for Murder. Note: See below.

Everything You Need to Know: Upcoming Fifth Tuesday
We will return to Booked for Murder on January 31 for our next Fifth Tuesday gathering. Sara Barnes and our First-and-Third Group are hosting the event.

Here’s the writing challenge for the evening: Write a short short story, poem, film scene or essay with a two-word title. One of the words must be either “heart” or “hearts,” as in “Burning Hearts,” “Busted Hearts,” “Mending Hearts.” You get the idea. Hey, Valentine’s Day is coming. Write to your heart’s delight, but no more than 500 words, please.

Now to the heart of the matter: The person who writes the best piece, as judged by UW screen-writing instructor Chris DeSmet, wins a free critique by Chris of her or his first 50 pages plus dinner on the town with Chris.

To make this all happen – to pay the bill – there is a $5 entry fee. So grab your idea and start writing, then polish, polish, polish. You want to be the winner, right?

Deadline: January 27 with submissions and fee collectors to First-and-Third members to be determined.

One from Jerry . . .
Put our TWS Post-Christmas Party and Potluck on your calendar: January 7 – a Saturday – at 1:00 p.m. Marge and I are hosting you all at Marge’s Victorian mansion here in Janesville. Street address, 920 Glen.

Do car pool and help save the environment. And bring a game you’d like the group to play.

Please email us that you are coming. We want to be certain we have at least a three-legged stool in the chimney corner for you, or, better, a chair at the table.

Writer’s Mail: Duty Roster
We’re recruiting editors for Writer’s Mail because there are lots of months ahead until the stars wink out toward the end of 2012, at least according to the apocalyptic Mayan calendar.

December – Clayton Gill at your service!
January – Liam Wilbur resolves to take us into the New Year!
February – Leap into the role of Writers Mail editing.
March – Beware the Idas (“I’d have done it, except…”).
April – The coolest month, breeding writers out of the dead land….

So, please let this editor know you’ll volunteer: E-mail Clayton.

The Last Word: Every Gift Except
In 1906, Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) published The Jungle, a muckraking novel of the U.S. meat packing industry. Sinclair’s best-seller exposed the country’s lack of effective food safety regulation and contributed to the creation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Over a period of more than 70 years, Sinclair wrote nearly 100 books (fiction, non-fiction, and drama), worked as a literary editor, and pursued a brief political career. But some found Sinclair a bit of a bore. A Time magazine book reviewer, reporting in 1957 on a memoir published by Sinclair’s wife, referred to Sinclair as “a man with every gift except humor and silence.”

An anthologized excerpt from The Jungle (titled “The Slaughter of the Pigs”) carried this foreword by Sinclair: “Anyone who reads these five thousand words will have his imagination stimulated, his sympathies widened, and his understanding of the world he lives in increased. At least, that is why (The Jungle) was written, and if it doesn’t happen there is something wrong with either you or with the author.”

Please send Clayton content for the next Writers Mail. Thank you!