Schedule and Location

Our group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Nokomis Fire Station. From Sarasota or North, proceed a few blocks south of Albee Road on US 41 (past Matthews-Currie Ford) to Pavonia Road. Turn right (West, toward the bay) at the Fire Station's flashing yellow caution traffic light. From the south on US 41, we are two blocks north of Dona Bay. Turn left onto Pavonia Road at the flashing yellow caution light. At the Fire Station, drive to the fire hall's far end or west side; PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOORS! We gather in the training room at the far end of the complex for a meet and greet at 6:00 pm but call the Meeting to order at 6:30 pm and take a Ten-minute break at around 7:50 pm. Meeting Adjourns: 9:00 pm

Thursday, September 26, 2019

September 18th, 2019



 Welcome back! My computer decided to take a vacation and I’ve reverted to a backup system, a laptop that’s a bit older than dirt, but still works. Unfortunately, my internet connection was a little harder to fix as the fiberoptic cable to the neighborhood was cut and didn’t get fixed until yesterday. So I’m late, what else is new.

The meeting began with a discussion, as always. This week an article out of the FWA dealt with editors, what they’ll do and won’t do. Cool huh? An Editor in our group applauded the article as it set forth some salient points. Editors do not write your story; they simply make sure you write it with the skill and talent you are blessed with. Some editors specialize in various areas like using proper punctuation and grammar. A very specialized editor may indeed help with pointing out areas in your piece which have problems in the manner they are worded or where improper words are used; i.e. there or their, etc.  Even the best of us need someone to read over our work and point out those obvious errors we make, I like to blame the auto-spell function; it’s the most maligned feature on the computer.

A quick read of a second article about Flash Fiction brought forth a second discussion, though considerably shorter than normal. GET IT?

The reading portion of our meeting was led off by Jim Kelly. His historical fiction story is considered fiction only in the dialog portions, as there are sparse references to the language used by Civil War soldiers and officers in the heat of battle. Jim’s story follows General Hancock throughout his career and this chapter follows the conclusion of the Battle of Gettysburg. Wounded, gravely but not mortally, Hancock directs his troops from a litter while medics tend to his wounds. Jim’s descriptions of sights, sounds, and odors surrounding a battlefield bring the readers into the fray and make them want more.

Mailboxes, poetical prose penned by Peter Frickel, especially when read by the author in his audibly pleasing baritone and cultured diction, gave us a new outlook on inanimate objects. The piece looks at every conceivable subject a mailbox might encounter. Damage to the mailbox and its contents, critique of neighboring boxes and their construction, weather, animals and their interactions with the mailbox and its post, and the content of the box’s contents, was most interesting. Great job Peter, show us more.

Cuba, that island 90 miles off Florida’s southernmost Key West is the setting for Jeff Kutcher’s story of a friend’s life. Amaury’s grandmother lived on a small farm bordering an old road in the heart of Cuba’s agrarian culture. In the days before Castro, the road was patrolled by Batista’s soldiers. The Farmer’s hard lives were made even harder by the demanding corruption of the regime and overbearing soldiers. Keep going Jeff, I’m anxious to read the finished product.

Ernie Ovitz is working on some changes and housekeeping on the Constantine project but fills in by reading excerpts from his dystopian work, The Rock. In this week’s excerpt, Michael meets Julia, a retired federal prosecutor turned reality television judge who is very popular. She is tough, self-reliant and smart. Their relationship is testy at first but blossoms with time. Stay tuned for more of Ernie’s off-center story. Good stuff!

When Scott Anderson opened his folder containing 5 little poems a hush fell over the room. Flat Cap, those little caps golfers wore (some still do), brought Scott’s memories to the fore, plaid, wool for warmth, and an Austin Healey still fill his dreams. Oil Painting, through the eyes of two viewers, present two distinct objects in two minds. When Circus brings out memories of our youth, we love the elephants. Date Night and the Ballet inspires a man to love his wife even more than before. Finally, Water Wings gives a child’s sense of security. Scott, your work gives me chills, don’t stop.

The Dreamer, written 30 years ago and The Realist, written last week, show Don Westerfield’s range when read side by side. The wishful thinking and whimsical ideas of one complement the harsh thoughts and dark happening in the other bring a balance not often shown by a writer in one sitting. As always, Don. You rock.

Ed Ellis’s wife has her hands full when they go to Disney World, well actually anywhere. On a recent trip, she had some shopping to do while Ed wanted to sit and write in a cafĂ©. Upon requesting a seat by the window, the hostess asked his name. Ed was not in the mood to be serious. Without much thought, he said, “Peter Bacharacharoca.” Having to repeat it several times, he almost forgot what he said to start with, he settled in and began to write. When his wife came to retrieve him, she asks for Ed Ellis. “Nobody by that name here,” was the hostess’s reply, “but we do have Mr. Bacharacharoca in the front room.” A gleam of realization sparked, Ed’s wife said, “That’s probably him.” Ed’s day of quiet writing was over. Ed, you never cease to amaze us, and yourself, I think.

A retired pilot, Bruce Haedrich, brought us a piece about airplanes which sees the machine through a pilot’s eyes. Here, as in a previous piece, an inanimate object becomes a living being. The hydraulics, cables, engines, and electrics become organs giving life to a huge creature controlled by a single brain, it's pilot. With Bruce’s narrative, I could feel the wind, sense resistance in the levers, and hear the heartbeat of a living machine. Well done Bruce, well done indeed.

Time grows short and we must close for the night. We’ll be back here in October, the second to be exact. Join us if you can, all are welcome. If you can’t be here, check out this blog as soon as I get around to writing it again. I’ll try to be quicker next time. Until then, Keep on Writing.

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