Tuesdays with Story

Tuesdays with Story
September 20, 2015

 

“Half my life is an act of revision.”– John Irving

 

Notes from September 2015, Week 3

Lisa MP, Tebow Family Secret, chapter 38-39: Mo thought chapter 38 should stay. POV of Geoff confusing. More discussion about what Tebows are doing while Ahna is missing. Judith says condense chp 38. Liked 39, Good sense of Izzy’s family. Pat agrees 38 should stay, but thinks Geoff comes off as a prick. Assistant should whisper information about Ahna. Thought chapter moved along well. Kashmira believes chapter 38 reinforces the Tebows motive and is intriguing. Thinks chapter 39 needs to have Izzy interact with kids more. Jerry can tell a clear distinction between Ahna and Izzy.

Millie, Epilogue for Life On Hold:  Lisa corrected CNN info because that network was not in existence during the time of the epilogue. She also believes this should be further along in their lives. Pat think maybe have others describe what’s happening. Comes across as a list of things instead of a story. Pat and Jerry don’t believe an epilogue is needed. Group agrees this doesn’t add much to her story and that her last chapter was a better ending.

Mo, Grimm Story: Lisa found the story’s voice once Mo read it out. Jerry pointed out that there can’t be a variety of roads if there’s a dead end. Wonders about door getting lock. Suggests adding an action to show locked door. Mo explains road is meant to disappear, which is why they only get helicopter. Jerry believes beer should spill if it’s open and he fell back. Pat also feels there needs to be Something happening with the beer if it’s mentioned.

Kashmir: Jerry liked the changes in the beginning, as did Pat and Lisa. Pat was curious about the sound the water buffalo makes. Amit says it’s a grunting sound. Mostly a discussion about the sound of a water buffalo. Jerry really liked a verb that Kashmir used. Pat would like to know what Swaraj meant.

Bob, Poem: Lisa liked that the poem was short, but had an issue with the double use of a word. Pat wanted it longer, but then changed her mind. Kashmir thought a line meant joy and change. Pat thought the opposite. Amit thinks it needs more, something is missing. No closure. Also, the double use of bird didn’t fit. Pat suggest saying critter instead.

Jerry Peterson (short story, Part 1, “Floater”) – Mo asked why the coroner was complaining so much about pulling a body out of a sewer plant’s sedimentation pond. Said Jerry, “It’s stinks. It’s a sewer plant.” Someone then suggested one could play that up by having the coroner say it would have been a lot better for him had the killer dumped the body in someone’s rose garden, to which Jerry said he could make a good line out of that.

 

Other Ins and Things

Fifth Tuesday Challenge!

Yes, it’s less than two weeks away . . . September 29.  Members of both our writing groups plus friends and spouses will gather for good times and good food at Panera’s on University Avenue at our usual start time of 7 p.m. This is an order-off-the-menu event. Second-and-fourth hosts.

The writing challenge . . . write something EXTREME, a poem, essay, or short short story. You define what extreme is. The word limit is 250. When you have your mini-masterpiece finished, email a copy to Ruth Imhoff,

 
The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2015
January 19, 2015 By Carrie Smith 143 Comments

Ready to improve your writing — and maybe even make a living as a writer — this year? Our 100 Best Websites for Writers list is back and better than ever.

Thanks to your suggestions, this year’s list of writing websites includes both well-established favorites and bold newcomers. We struggled to whittle it down to just 100 — there are so many fantastic resources out there for writers! — and could probably create a second list of 100 based on all your recommendations. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!

We’ve broken the list into eight categories: blogging, creativity and craft, entrepreneurship, freelancing, literary agents, marketing, publishing, and writing communities. The writing sites are listed in alphabetical order within each category, and the numbers are included for easy tracking rather than as a ranking.

Whether you’re keen to find better-paying freelance writing jobs or self-publish your NaNoWriMo project, build your email list or strengthen your SEO skills, these sites will help you reach your goals.  http://thewritelife.com/100-best-websites-for-writers-2015/#.rnsjvv:kGK2

Thanks, Pat

 

Here’s a link which leads to reading samples of books nominated on the “long list” for the National Book Award.  Arguably, it’s a barometer of what readers and publishers think is currently considered good writing.

http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/free-samples-of-nbas-fiction-longlist/110080

Thanks, Alicia

 

Here’s a link to a free download for a book about how to promote your self-published.

http://www.bookbaby.com/free-guide/frugal-book-promoter?Source=BBP1538E&initialsource=BBP1538E&Dest=https://www.pages04.net/discmakers-cdbaby/BookBaby_FrugalBookPromoter?utm_campaign=BBP1538E&utm_source=Prospect&utm_medium=Email

Thanks, me

 

Great phrase . . .

From Word Spy Paul McFedreis:

the bacon of X
catchphrase. The most excellent or most satisfying example of something.

Examples
2015
“chelseagsummers thinks of you as the bacon of women.”
– Terry Teachout, @chelseagsummers I…, Twitter, June 30, 2015

2014
“There is really no greater feeling than getting a new pair of yoga pants. Their [sic] like the bacon of clothes.
– Shelby Stolte, There is…, Twitter, November 10, 2014

2014
“It’s the bacon of men’s shirts, and who doesn’t like bacon?”
– Jamie Feldman, This Is The ‘Bacon Of Shirts’, The Huffington Post, August 21, 2014

2014
“And #epic of course, because ‘Angels’ is the bacon of music: crispy, thick, dripping with sensation.”
– Ezra Marcus, This Modern Love: Ricky Eat Acid Answers OKCupid Questions and Premieres His New Song ‘Angels’, Vice, July 1, 2014

2009
“Robots are the bacon of storytelling: every tale can use one.”
– Chris Edwards, Robots are…, Twitter, August 1, 2009

2006 (earliest)
“Skittles, the bacon of candy in my opinion, didn’t make the list.”
– Thomas Sherman, Candyland, The Sherman Foundation, July 10, 2006

 

Coming Soon…

September 22: Carol Hornung

September 29: Fifth Tuesday!

October 6: Pat Edwards (???), Cindi Dyke (chapter, North Road), Kashmira Sheth & Amit Trivedi (chapter, novel), Judith McNeil (short story, part 2, Walking In), and Bob Kralapp (???).

October 13: ??

October 20: Lisa McDougal (chapter 40, Tebow Family Secret), Cindi Dyke (chapter, North Road), Kashmira Sheth & Amit Trivedi (chapter, novel), Mo Bebow-Reinhard (???), Bob Kralapp (???), and Jerry Peterson (chapters 17-20, Killing Ham).

 

Writers Mail editor . . .

Lisa McDougal-Pederson is our editor for September. Do you have some good stuff you’d like to share with our colleagues? E-mail it to Lisa.

Our editor for October is Pat Edwards.