Writer’s Mail
Tuesdays With Story
June 30, 2011
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” — Jack London
Tuesday at B&N . . .
Liam – Chapter 3 of Fog-Gotten — Andrea thought that Liam should spend more time talking about the dead person instead of seeming to brush by it in passing. Jack mentioned a few continuity problems. Liam said he’s going to fix them. Jennifer wondered if the main character was inside or outside. It was difficult for her to tell. Jack asked if we needed to read about all the calendar stuff? He thought that Liam should consider how to structure this section. Building a crescendo? Rebecca wanted the main character to be more curious about being outside.
Jennifer – Chapter 1 of Dreams of the Future — Cole said that he enjoyed the story. He liked the flashbacks, but was concerned about how often and quickly they occur. He would like to see more set in the present. Jack agreed and said that Jennifer should establish a relationship with the reader. Set the scene and establish character. Cole would like a longer scene. Jack said that throwing in the red dress doesn’t take the reader where he/she needs to be to go reminiscing. Proust reference. Bruce Catton memoir reference. Liam has concerns about the name “Mystique”. Jen liked it. Andrea was looking for support for introducing such an exotic name. There was a long group discussion about the red dress and what it meant and how much detail should be introduced up front. There was also a discussion about the tone of the piece. It had shadings of a romance novel for some people, but Jennifer insisted that it wasn’t one. Jen asked about the poem at the end and wondered why it was there.
Jack – The Golden Fleece II — Jen wanted to know if the kids would have recovered enough to speak in full sentences. Rebecca wanted to know if they should stumble more as they run. She liked the bits about how they hurt their feet. There was a group discussion about how the “energy” that Sean and Claire had was likely the result of adrenaline coursing through their bodies. Cole liked the passage about his “hands at his eyebrows, saluting the retreating sun”. Jack said to look for the Celtic myth references in the upcoming section of this chapter. (more…)
Tuesdays with Story 