Tuesdays with Story

Writer’s Mail
March 20, 2012

“A white blank page…and a swelling rage…”-Mumford and Sons, “White Blank Page”

Second and Forth Recap
Terry Hoffman, The Great Tome
• Jen suggested that there needed to be a better transition from the present section to the flashback section.
• Kristin liked the inner dialogue especially the part where things seem normal
• Rachel doesn’t want to mess things up.
• Carol liked the dialogue. She noted a place that needed more physical gestures when the mother was talking about Doug.

Carol Hornung, Sapphire Lodge
• Holly asked what was the purpose of the scene. Carol replied that the scene brings up suspicion on a few characters.
• Jen felt that the scene was short and could be expanded upon. Carol said another scene afterwards brings everything into more context.
• Holly asked Carol to expand the two small scenes in this segment and expand Rita’s character. The reader needs to understand why Saffi is worried for Rita.

Liam Wilbur, The Payment
• Kateline suggested that Liam show the bad guys removing shards of glass from the window before entering the house.
• Holly suggested that Nick try to hid, but didn’t have time to hide properly.
• Carol asked if one of the bad guys was searching the house, why he didn’t find the other kids. She suggested that Liam explore that idea.
• Terry suggested Nick shows some regret for throwing the brick.
• Jen suggested that Liam provide more description of the place.
• Carol said that the dialogue seems modern.

Millie’s Book Review: THE DROP by MICHAEL CONNELLY (Author of The Lincoln Lawyer)
If you’re like me, you will surmise that The Drop is a Jason Bourne type of tale. Wrong. In the language of the LAPD it means Deferred Retirement Option Plan. Facing it, in this novel, is lead detective Harry Bosch. He has just been granted three extra years, and is salivating for another juicy case. Currently serving in the Open Unsolved unit, he is assigned a humdinger. With the advent of DNA, he must attempt to solve a case that is pending from 1989. The main problem is that the only DNA from this horrendous rape and murder belongs to a boy who would have been eight years old at the time.
A second, current case, shoots across his desk from a politician who demands that Harry unravel the death of Councilman Irvin Irving’s son. George Irving either jumped or was pushed from the balcony of a ninth floor suite at the exclusive Chateau Marmont in Hollywood. Irvin Irving is a disgraced ex-cop, who has become powerful in city politics. He holds a club over the police department, making sure that there is no overtime and no new hires. He has been an antagonist of Harry Bosch, but knows the detective will leave no stone unturned in solving his case.

Harry Bosch is a caustic, plodding man, totally immersed in every case he handles– but he never wished for two at once! Both are labeled “immediate attention,” and both are dark and full of twists and turns.
Harry is tossed onto a theoretical highway that is obstructed with potholes, side roads, curves and crossovers. His buddy, Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller, would try to break the speed limit, cussing all the way. Not so Harry Bosch, who travels slower, but observes every minute detail. He scans the side roads and peers into every pothole.
A barrel of crooked politicking rolls out. Former “dicey” policemen are involved, and a tragic case of abuse is exposed. Harry Bosch is successful in solving both cases. He is awarded two more years of DROP. An unexpected curve ball, and a betrayal leave e him disenchanted. However, he will always savor the next case. It’s in his blood.

Who’s Up Next….
March 20: Liam Wilbur (???, Scott & Rory), Rebecca Rettenmund (chapter 5, The Cheese Logue), Millie Mader (chapter 33, Life on Hold), Pat Edwards (poems), Judith McNeil (more of “The Waldorf Hysteria”), and Jerry Peterson (chapter 24, Thou Shalt Not Murder) Greg Spry (chapter 19, Beyond Cloud Nine).
March 27: Terry, Katelin, Holly and Jen
April 3: Aaron Boehm (???), Greg Spry (chapter 19, Beyond Cloud Nine), Amber Boudreau (chapter 4 rewrite, Noble), Lisa McDougal (Follow the Yellow-Chapter 1), and Clayton Gill (???chapter, Fishing Derby), and Jerry Peterson (chapter1&2, Rage).
April 10: Carol would like to read.

In Closing:
• Greg has a new personal website that you can visit, http://www.gregspry.com/
• John Freiberger will be taking over as leader for 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.
• Pat will be newsletter editor in April.