January 22, 2020

Welcome back. Our second meeting in 2020 was well attended. Two new attendees joined fifteen regulars this week. JoAnn McGraph and Doaa Talees (excuse me if I misspelled a name) attended their first meeting while Lois Stern returned for her annual escape from the icy winds of Long Island.

This was the last meeting in January, our first meeting in February will take place on our usual first Wednesday of the month, Feb 5th. We’re back on schedule the first and third Wednesday of the month. 

Last meeting, we enjoyed a look as some words not often used in today’s lexicon. While many of us knew their meaning, we seldom, if ever, use the words. This week Scott Anderson heard another word, used by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States while seemingly scolding prosecuting and defense teams giving their opening statements at the Presidential Impeachment Trial, he accused both teams of pettifoggery. Do you know what it means? Dictionary.com defines it as:
1. to bicker or quibble over trifles or unimportant matters.
2. to carry on a petty, shifty, or unethical law business.
3. to practice chicanery of any sort.

Regardless of your political views, the use of a word not often used in twentieth or twenty-first-century speech is interesting and, as writers, we must take note of the language used around us. I do not promote writing with a thesaurus at hand in order to search out uncommon words as you write, but I do promote using the strongest verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs when needed to make your writing stand out. Be careful, use the adjectives and adverbs judiciously, too much can ruin a great story.

Our last meeting saw the group read answers to a challenge; write a story using or about the phrase Stay low, don’t fight, in 35 words or less. The results were varied and interesting. Following the same vein, another challenge was issued; in 35 words or less write a story about Firehouse. The results were remarkable, ranging from wailing sirens to sizzling submarine sandwiches, the super flash fiction entries covered even ships at sea in prose, dialogue, and poetry. We do meet at the Firehouse in Nokomis, Florida and are forever grateful for the use of the hall. As a small token of our appreciation, the group wants all the Firehouse entries emailed to me, rodshs62@hotmail.com for printing and inclusion in a publication to be presented to the Firefighters and Officers of this station. If you’ve written longer stories or even a novel about firefighters and firehouse life, please allow us to share that with these brave men and women who risk life and limb to protect us from disaster. You never know what you’ll get when you challenge a group of writers. The challenge issued for next meeting is somewhat daunting, Summarize the novel, Moby Dick, in a single sentence of 35 words or less.  Ed Ellis has figuratively nailed a $5 bill to the mast for the writer who does it with the shortest sentence.

We moved on to the reading portion of our meeting. Opening with Don Westerfield reading two wonderful poems, First Snow of Winter addresses the wonders seen in the first snowfall of the season. Displeased birds, curious rodents, bare trees giving up the last stubborn leaves, and children’s enchantment are vividly expressed in Don’s expressive work. Inspired by an old man remembered from his past, The Old Bachelor expresses a man’s memories and regrets over a lifetime in which “If only” became his mantra.

Barb Marvin revisited Chapter One of her novel Defenseless. Having rewritten the chapter, she presented it for our assessment. A consensus of “much better” met her reading of a suspense-filled scene in which a mysterious man drives through the darkness of post-midnight toward an ominous mission in rural Sarasota County. Tension builds until culminating in a cliffhanging action which primed the group to hear more. Great job Barb.

A letter to a new student whom Ed Ellis is mentoring delivers a message of inspiration as the next phase of life dawns. In the closing paragraph, sage advice warning not to attempt to work toward success and failure at the same time by narrowing viewpoints is given and we hope heeded.

In a chapter entitled The Patriots, Bill Elam presents an open-ended scene where a group of men gather around a firepit and share experiences. As the old men relive and remember experiences gained in life through war and peace, the young listen hoping to learn about life and the price some may have paid. Where in his story does this belong? Is the old man of his story a teller or a listener in this scene?

Have you ever wondered how hurricanes are formed? If you get a chance to read Bruce Haedrich’s story, The Storm, do so. Depicting a dry swirl of wind in the Sahara as a living being, the story follows it from birth to its final moments and reads as a romantic tale. Struggling to survive in a hostile world, the wind grows, meets and joins a community, falls in love, and mates with elements met on land, in the sky, and on the ocean to form the mature storm marching to its death on another shore. Intriguing, with a sensual bent, the writing is superb and fun to read.

A Letter Never Sent by Jane Forgey held wonderful thoughts and recapped the history of friendship fostered by what began as a commercial relationship. As the owner of a café, Jane befriended a couple as they became regular customers while vacationing in her area. After years of association they were fast friends and shared tales of travel, experiences, and personal outlook on life. Tragedy struck as the male half of the couple passed away and the reason for vacations died with him. The letter remains unsent, even after many years have passed.

Science Fiction stories and politics are Ian Schagen’s preferred genres. A chapter from Armontiriath, his latest work, sets up a story with unlimited possible outcomes with both subjects taking center stage. As the starship hurtles through space, an insurrection involving passengers and a member of the command staff change the ship's course and mission. Where will it lead, only Ian’s mind will lead us there.

Poet Scott Anderson presented work with both melodic structure and meter combined with a deeply moving subject. Clouds of Separation presents four, four-line stanzas without refrain, which beg to explain one’s faith or questioning of faith. How the simple collection of moisture seems to hang as a curtain separating heaven and earth and represent a barrier across which we struggle to see is expressed so beautifully. Look for Scott’s collection, hopefully soon.

When aboard a vessel at sea or in the inland waterways of a country, hazards abound. Who would expect to be awakened in the darkest hours by the U.S. Coast Guard while anchored in a protected cove? JoAnn Buell and her husband experienced such trauma while sailing up the intercoastal waterway on the Atlantic coast. In A Bad Night, she tells us, that while riding out a bit of inclement weather, it seems they trespassed into the waters of a military facility. Tired, the couple anchored for the night doing their best to find a leeward position seeking protection from wind and rain. The midnight hail of a cutter ordering them to move or face impounding of their boat, brought them from their bed naked as newborn babes and scrambling to find robes. All’s well that ends well, however. This is only one of many stories JoAnn has written as she journaled her way through the voyage. I hope we get to see them all one day.

Closing out the evening, Lois Stern read of her beloved uncle in Unkie and His Tell-tale Trail of Smoke. A frugal but fun-loving man, Unkie was seldom without his pipe. Even as a firefighter, he once failed to extinguish the pipe before putting in his pocket as he clung to the rear step of a fire engine racing to fight a fire. From family gatherings to his final days in an assisted living facility, his pipe was as much a part of him as any body part. The full story can be found in the latest edition of Tales2Inspire.

Well, that’s all for today. Join us one of these evenings at the Nokomis Fire Station. We have fun, you’ll hear some really good stories and meet interesting people. Our second meeting in February will feature a presentation by Ed Ellis, an hour about Models for Publicizing your books. Join us and, until then, KEEP ON WRITING.