September 15th, 2021

The meeting night opened with a general discussion about what was going on over the past two weeks. Most of us have been working away at what we really love. I’ve found out writing is a time-consuming passion. Once retired, I thought I’d have plenty of time to write. Now, I don’t know how I found time to work, let alone do all those other chores life brings my way. Oh well, I guess the windows won’t get washed this week; I’ve got a chapter to finish.

 

With fourteen attendees, and eleven of them wanting to share their work with the group, we got right to it.

 

Peter McNally had the first spot. At the last meeting, we didn’t have time to allow him a full slot. His memoir, REWIRED, follows his life leading up to, during, and after multiple strokes, seizures, and other debilitating incidents. Peter alternates his chapters between present-day activities and recollections of the onset of his issues. It has to be frightening when you lose all emotion, although without feeling, can you experience fear? With no memory, no understanding, losing half your vision, can’t speak, read, or write; how do you exist. He did, and now he’s writing about it. A demanding job at best, impossible, does not exist for Peter. Great job, Peter, hang in there.

 

LONG BEACH is the title of Ed Ellis‘s presentation. All dialog without attribution, it was a challenge, and Ed met it with gusto. A couple driving in thick fog (it was in California, maybe it was Smog), a couple looks for an address. Who drives? A debate. Where are they? Another debate. Could this scenario be confusing? The final line is,” turn right here…left.”

 

Is there anyone in your life who has addiction issues? Our Tish McAuley has been there and is brave enough to write about it. How would you feel if you had to inject powerful drugs into your body just to feel normal? A little girl is born; by the time she’s five, she knows about drugs and how to use them. When she comes out of the bathroom with a belt wrapped around her arm, is it time to make changes in life? But when Daddy takes her out of state and gets arrested, the police give you 24 hours to pick her up, and she’s a thousand miles away. You’re one brave woman, Tish.

 

When Dennis Cathcart visited Costa Rica in 1968, he met a military doctor and researcher named Major Herschel Flowers. Dr. Flowers was there to develop an anti-venom serum for the people of Costa Rica. An elderly teacher there taught Dr. Flowers to speak Costa Rican Spanish. She gave a speech lauding the Major’s accomplishments; Dennis will include it in his memoir.

 

THE BALLAD OF THE MAGGIE ABBOT by Bruce Haedrich came next. A ballad written in iambic pentameter tells the story of a young sailor on his first voyage. Sailing in a three-masted schooner to the tropics to procure teak logs, the ship is caught in a Hurricane. The captain’s skill and God’s good graces save them from sinking, but they suffer heavy damages. When finally back in port, the captain looks to Jack and pronounces, “Now you are a sailor, Jack.”

 

Remembrance seems to have a theme in tonight’s readings. Don Westerfield departed from the poetry of which he is so proficient to give us a glance at his boyhood. WORLD WAR II was in full swing when Don was but ten years old. The infamous day Pearl Harbor felt the wrath of the Japanese bombs fill a space indelible in his mind. Paper drives, rationing, and men who didn’t come home echo in his memory as much as those of his own military service on active duty and in the Indiana Air National Guard for the next forty years. Thank you, Don, for your service and the wonderful stories it allows you to share with us.

 

Simple things can inspire writings, as Peter Frickel often shows us. A WALK, BIRDS, thoughts of  PARALLEL UNIVERSES, or even THINGS I NEVER KNEW inspired beautiful words as few can express themselves as Peter does. These simple thoughts grace a sheet of paper, and as his sonorous voice delivers them to our ears,  always evoking pictures in the minds of his listeners.

 

James Kelly’s rendition of life on an Army Post in the Dakotas after the Civil War is awe-inspiring and filled with adventure. Young Joshua McKenzie meets a BEAUTIFUL REDHEAD as a new First Sergeant’s family arrives at Fort Laramie. Caught between childhood and womanhood, this stunning 16-year-old auburn-haired beauty Erin Bernadett O’Connor captures the boy’s heart. Set against a backdrop of beauty and terror, a new romance blooms.

 

Twenty years ago, Anne Moore began a project. As a child, and even as a young woman, Anne felt as if she was expected to be SEEN AND NOT HEARD. Reaching the age of fifty, she set forth with an idea. She would travel the world and interview women turning fifty. Anne believes women have every right to be heard and wants to hear how others her age feel. Unfortunately, the project didn’t get off the ground because the so-called backers didn’t listen to Anne. She was Seen but not Heard. Now, twenty years later, Anne is embarking on her quest. We offer our support as she sets off to interview women turning 70 and record their opinions on the world today. Good Luck and keep us in the loop.

 

COOLANGATTA is a town in Queensland, Australia. A racing yacht named after the city wins a spot in the famous open ocean race from Sidney to Hobart, nearly a thousand miles. All goes well for the first few days, but a freak storm blows up on the third day. Monster waves, devastating winds, and swirling tides wreck havoc on the ship and sailors. The ship is destroyed, dashed to pieces, and sunk in a short time. Cast adrift in a small raft, the few survivors face starvation, dehydration, and SHARKS. The most dangerous peril they face is in their minds. How do they fare? Richard Cope writes a powerful story, and we look forward to many more.

Impressed by the book GAIA, Susan Haley chose to read a passage that appeals to her environmental passions. Her mantra is LIVE WITH NATURE, DON’T CHANGE IT. This is the perfect example of how writers can influence others. Gaia is written by Bruce Haedrich, and he has read much of it to us over the past few months. His message reaches Susan, and she responds by showing her appreciation of his excellent work. Gaia is available on Amazon. Thank you, Bruce and Susan.

 

Well, I guess that about wraps it up. I could probably natter on for another thousand words or so, but that might frighten off our readers. It’s been an enjoyable meeting – I wish all our writers the best. We’re always here to help. Until next time – KEEP ON WRITING.

September 1st, 2021

 

It was a damp night at the Nokomis Firehouse. Even rain didn’t deter eight hardy writers from showing up for our semi-monthly meeting.

Our meeting started off with a discussion as usual. Do you use dialect or accent in your fiction writing? Opinions ranged from NO! Not necessary at all, to YES! Absolutely needed to show the character’s personality. The pros and cons were argued by both sides and even some in the middle. Points to consider: Dialect or even Accent can confuse the reader, primarily if written phonetically. Everyone agreed that dialect can confuse and should be used sparingly. Maybe only use a few words at the beginning of some dialogue to set the tone. Throughout the speech, use an occasional word or two.

i.e: “Spose yo n’ me gwan down to da sto to pick up sum smokes. Ah really need a butt. Don’t rekkon you got an extra on ya?” Translation: "How about you and I go down to the store and buy some cigarettes. I really need a cigarette. Is it likely you have an extra cigarette you could let me have?" It might be written: "What say we run down to da store. I needs me a smoke. You ain't got an extra to spare, do ya?"

In reading this, you can draw some conclusions. What part of the country do you think the speaker lives? Are they male or female? Do you have some idea as to their race? What is the most likely scenario for this conversation? Be careful; we don’t want to stereotype.

As to what part of the country; anywhere, rural, urban, suburban. Sex; it doesn’t matter. Race; white, black, oriental, Native American, all can use the terminology. Scenario; any place people smoke and have a corner store that sells cigarettes.

This writer’s opinion is that worrying about political correctness detracts from fictional stories and has no place in the world of novels. Men and women exist and have different points of view. Characters may be other races without signifying what race that is. People are people. If the need to differentiate people by race is needed, such as in a story set in the old south of the early 19^th century, do so. Don’t be afraid to use words many find unacceptable. Be accurate to the time and place of your story, but don’t go overboard and use foul or inappropriate language simply because you can. Use it in conjunction with your account, realistically, not in a thoughtless or injudicious manner.

It bothers this writer in an era where great writers of the past are ridiculed for using commonplace language. To hear Joel Chandler Harris writing his Uncle Remus tales demeaned for his stories saddens me. Frank Yerby wrote the Foxes of Harrow in the 1940s. I would think many of the readers of this classic novel did not know Yerby was an African American writer who broke numerous barriers but was criticized for not paying more attention to the plight of his race. His answer to that was, “writers should entertain and not preach to their readers.”

Enough Preaching:

 

We did have a productive reading session as well. Leading off was Rod DiGruttolo with Chapter 45 of a detective story he’s currently writing. The chapter is a mid-story summation of several hanging situations involving four characters. Rod uses breaks between the scenarios denoted by three stars (***). He wanted to know who else used this device and if it created a problem when reading. The general consensus was, it works.

 

Bruce Haedrich read the final chapter of Gaia, his work in which the Earth speaks to us. Her final warning was ominous. We as a species have overpopulated Earth. Unless we allow natural attrition to thin the herd, we will be forced to use less desirable means such as war, famine, or plague to do it for us. Thought-provoking and well written; good stuff, Bruce.

 

Ed Ellis presented us with a choice between openings for a chapter to his book, a non-fiction work. Both were excellent and would work well. I don’t know which option won out, but I know Ed will make masterful use of either one.

 

Poetry is a beautiful way to tell a story, and Don Westerfield is masterful in its use. Two poems with similar titles, he shared. In PARK BENCH POET and PARK BENCH POET II, Don reflects on the poet within him struggling to put words on paper that show the emotions swirling within. Surroundings, people, animals, and other influences that carry inspiration and distraction play heavily on the mind as the day comes to an end. Don always opens his thoughts to us through his poetry. Oh, by the way; We hope you had a Happy Birthday last month.

 

It’s always inspiring when Dennis Cathcart takes the stage to read from his memoir, Snake Hunter. Tonight’s piece was especially poignant as he opens the first chapter and sets a tone for the work. Here, with a single paragraph, he tells us what the book is about. Somewhat mournful but promising, all the same, he takes leave of a career he loves and embarks on the rest of his life. Great work, Dennis.

 

WORDS HAVE MEANING, no matter what language you use. James Kelly brings that to the forefront in the shared chapter of a young boy learning to speak the Lakota Sioux language. The boy learns from an interpreter under the command of his father at a western Army Post. In all languages, simple inflection sometimes changes the meaning of a word. That is evident in this case even more so than in his native language, English. I don’t know if Jim planned to read this chapter upon arrival or chose it after the discussion to open the meeting, but it was right on the mark. As always, good work Jim.

 

Another poet has joined our ranks in the past couple of months. Richard Cope shared three of his works with us this week. Songs of The Cricket, Flower Child, and Flower Child Refrain. All three were descriptive pieces and left images in this writer’s mind. The small voice of cricket, not a voice at all, overpowers the silence of loneliness. Peace, love, and flowers in her hair let the Flower Child tell a story and send a message to the world in music and song. It’s good to have you with us, Richard. Keep telling us your stories.

 

When Peter Frickel takes the stage, all ears turn to hear his story. This week’s offering was not only thrilling but carried a message of respect. The Big Fish is a tale of an epic battle between angler and fish. A long and tiring struggle resulted in both participants winning the other’s respect. The fish fought almost to the point of fatal exhaustion while the fisherman used skill and some trickery to gain an advantage. In the end, the valiant struggle instilled respect in both fisherman and fish as they worked together to regain their expended energy as the fisherman returned his catch to the deep. Peter, your words left me with a sense of the epic struggle. I was tired by the end and had a deep respect for the quarry. Thank You.

 

Well, I guess that wraps up the evening. Another intriguing evening at the firehouse. I hope we see all of you at the next meeting, September 15^th. Until then, KEEP ON WRITING.