Tuesdays with Story

Writer’s Mail
Tuesdays with Story
August 7, 2016

Who’s up next . . .

August 9:

August 16: Mike Austin (chapter, Before I Leave), Millie Mader (poem), Hannah Marshall (poems), Nora O’Reilly (chapter, Bill McCormick’s Bliss), Eva Mays (chapter, Dhuoda), Judith McNeil (???), and Amit Trivedi (chapter, novel).

August 23:

August 30: Fifth Tuesday!

September 6: Pat Edwards (???), Randy Slagel (part ???, “Watered-Down Witch”), Amber Boudreau (chapter 5, The Dragoneer), John Schneller (chapter 4, Final Stronghold), Cindi Dyke (chapter, North Road), Bob Kralapp (poem, “March Morning at the Library”), and Jerry Peterson (???).

Around the circle at B&N Westside . . .

Here are the first-and-third writers who had pieces up for critiques Tuesday evening:

– Pat Edwards (poem, “Insomnia”) . . . Over all feedback was positive with most people wondering if the character was really awake or if she was dreaming.  Amber recommended the first line be changed to reflect that wondering.

– Amber Boudreau (chapter 4, The Dragoneer) . . . Chapter 4 of the Dragoneer was well received in general. Pat had a problem with the protagonist being fine with collecting rocks for the wyvern, just some comment about this being her new normal would be helpful. She also didn’t like the line about the radio. Eva and others wondered what the officer had to say to Ansel, but the author is not saying.

– Kashmira Sheth (novel in verse, part 1 rewrite, Turban Boy) . . . Kashmira submitted the first few pages of her novel in verse. John wondered why she had chosen that format. Jerry had a question about how the lines were broken down. Pat had a concern about one part that didn’t feel like the true voice of the character. Over all, everyone agreed that the poems showed how Amrit carried scares of bullying over the years.

– Cindi Dyke (chapters 1-2 rewrites, North Road) . . . Group agreed that this second draft was much tighter but Pat and Jerry gave examples of where some of the back story could still be reduced. Jerry and John both felt the mention of skidding on black ice at the end of the chapter  required the main character to go into the ditch, but my intention was that the black ice was simply a dark foreboding,  a metaphor for an invisible but potentially harming threat.

– John Schneller (chapter 3, Final Stronghold) . . . By chapter three, Pat Edwards wanted the show to get on the road . . . or the trail . . . anywhere but hanging out on the beach, talking about moving on. Especially, as jerry Peterson pointed out, if the talking is by the unseen narrator. While the author had allowed the narrator onto the scene, he will be removed, forcibly if necessary. Even if it takes the return of leviathan or quicksand to do so . . .

– Jerry Peterson (short story, “One Alone”) . . . Pat Edwards called it a story of redemption and felt it was the best story Jerry had written. John Schneller pointed out a slip, saying the police detective wouldn’t ask Deal what had caused his problems, that, because they are friends, he would know it was Deal’s experiences in the Gulf War.

Fifth Tuesday . . .

Now’s the time to write your challenge for Fifth Tuesday. Here’s the prompt: A superhero makes a career change. Do not identify the superhero you select in your story, but do plant enough clues that readers can guess who it is.

Max length: 500 words

Send your story to Jerry Peterson by Friday evening, August 26. He will bundle them for posting on our website.

Who’s in charge . . .

John Schneller edits our e-newsletter this month, so send your good stuff to him. In September, Eva Mays steps up as editor.

Writing the Walter Mosley way . . .

Walter Mosley, the creator of the Easy Rawlins mystery series – 14 novels so far – is prolific. At age 64, he’s written 52 books, more than 30 short stories, and something like 40 articles.

And he writes everything – mysteries, sci-fi, erotica, Y.A. , plays, opinion pieces, and essays . . . even a slim book on how to get started for would-be fiction writers.

Said Mosley in one interview, “I have all these things, I’m continually writing them, and people say, ‘Well, I can’t sell that.’ And I say, ‘Well, that’s okay. We’ll just publish it. Don’t give me any advance, and we’ll see where it goes.’ You know, because the idea of writing … if you want to get rich, you go into real estate.”

How Mosley does it is simple. He writes three hours a day. “Every day, 365 days a year. I just write and write and write.”

*There’s a lesson here for you and me.

Editorial note: Thanks to Jerry and all others for your submissions!  john