December 20th, 2023

 

 Welcome back. Yeah, I know, I’m late again. What the heck? It’s Christmas, and I have 10 Great-grand-kids to enjoy, so I’m a few days late? That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The firehouse was filled with goodies, and we had a good time at the last meeting. Our annual donation to the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department amounted to $225 this year. The Battalion Chief and on-duty firefighters accepted it along with a card signed by our writers. Thank you, NVFD, for allowing us to use your training room.

 

A first-time attendee joined us this week. Katie Lynch came to see what we do and shared an insightful piece after hearing several of our writers read. Her essay entitled Austin and Zelda, in rough draft form, tells us Katie is an accomplished writer and will do well with her endeavors. – We look forward to hearing more of her work.

 

Our reading session was abbreviated as we often paused to sample the goodies. Cookies, cupcakes, sandwiches, and candy adorned the table. More than we could eat as a group. The firefighters promised to give the leftovers a good home.

 

Don Westerfield started us off with two poems appropriate for the evening. Recalling events from years past, Don tells us of snowball fights, Threshold bells, Carols, Decorated trees, and the company of a faithful dog, all in “A Christmas Eve.”  Then, as he explores the time “Beyond Christmas,” we are introduced to a bewhiskered old man with soot-stained whiskers and a red suit, torn and dirty, trudging toward nowhere. Does anyone believe in love and goodwill anymore? “Is this where Christmas ends?”

 

Peter McNally stands out as a burgeoning storyteller among our group of writers. Peter tells of his life after suffering several debilitating strokes and Gran Maul seizures. The strokes destroyed his memory and wrecked his life. It’s taken years to rebuild a life, but as his efforts to tell his story continue, bits and pieces of the lost memory return. The heartbreak of losing a family he barely knew at the peak of his struggle is becoming more and more available in his mind. But our writer presses on. His skills are improving daily, as are his memories. Write Peter, Write!

 

Taking the season’s spirit in hand, Bruce Haedrich tells us of a plot to steal Santa’s secrets. His poem,  A Christmas Story, reveals a plot hatched at Murphy’s Pub by five guys from M.I.T. to kidnap Ol’ St. Nick and steal the technology that makes him able to travel so fast and enter places in magical ways. Efforts to warn Santa are met with an “oh, we know about that” attitude. Armed with five pills to be placed in the would-be… well, does the plan succeed?

 

James Kelly continues his story of Tremain Mackenzie as he joins the Calvary forming up and preparing to ship out to Cuba. The newspapers nickname the group The Rough Riders. Jim tells the story well. He received several ideas on how to approach the telling of how the women left behind by the men going off to war react and handle the stress. Kelly’s knowledge of military operations and life in service makes his story rise from the page and take shape in the reader’s mind. Good work, Jim.

 

We hope you've had a great Christmas, we did, and we wish you a Safe and Happy New Year. 

That pretty much sums up the last meeting of 2023. We begin a new year at the Firehouse on January 3^rd, 2024. We look forward to another bountiful year filled with new stories, poems, and projects. Make all your wishes come true, and KEEP ON WRITING!

Dec. 6th, 2023

Sorry to be so late in posting this blog. After all, it’s the Holiday Season, and I’m busy. Unfortunately, all that other stuff and not my writing demands my time. I’m looking for a way to let Artificial Intelligence take care of that ‘other stuff’ so I can get back to doing important things. I haven’t had a decent nap in over a week, and that’s got to stop. Oh well!

 

We started the meeting with another discussion about AI. I wonder, can anything artificial actually be intelligent? Our ever-curious Bruce Haedrich was fooling around with this tool and decided to find out how fast it could come up with a summary of his latest work, The Janus Moon. He plugged it in, and before he could blink twice, a complete overview was on his screen. And it was accurate. Okay, but did it make up the story? No, but a summary is helpful, especially when submitting your work to an agent or publisher.      

 (I still don’t trust it, but that’s my opinion.)

 

We moved on to a second topic, Profanity. Do we need to use it in our work? Maybe even just a little? I’ve read a lot of work in my lifetime that has zero profane words in the text. Sometimes, as I listen to people talk, I wonder if they would be tongue-tied if they couldn’t use the f-bomb or refer to someone as a b----, son-of-ab-----, or a--hole. Do they use the same thing as they write? Huh? I use profanity in my work, usually when writing dialogue. I strive to make my stories relatable to readers, and I seldom find my character perfect. They use swear words in times of emotional stress or when facing a daunting situation. Having spent some years in law enforcement, I can attest to having heard an abnormal of cussing, cursing, swearing, and just plain rude language in more than one dialect, I might add. Our good friend Peter Frickel used to say, “If you must use profane language, you’re writing it incorrectly.” But even Peter had to admit people talk that way when they can’t express themselves intelligently. In conclusion, YOU’RE THE WRITER, WRITE IT HOWEVER YOU WISH.

 

As we moved on to the reading portion of the meeting, Dennis Cathcart took the floor. Dennis is embarking on a new work. Having told us many tales of his adventures while hunting and capturing reptiles in exotic locations, he has turned his attention to the fabulous opportunities he and his wife Linda have had to explore this beautiful planet. The working title of his new work is up in the air. By that, I mean, “he ain’t got one yet.” Chapter One, entitled To The Edge of The World, takes place in Tasmania. There, a wilderness teeming with exotic plants and wildlife abuts an ocean with tides racing around the globe to crash unabated on the shores of an island. On a windswept cliff, Dennis and Linda gaze upon a sight few will ever see.

 

Working on a trilogy in which Ernie Ovitz tells of those perceived private moments in the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine can be exhausting. Hours, days, weeks, months, or even years of research can wear down even the most dedicated writer. Ernie needs to take a break occasionally. This week, he brings us a speech entitled The Devil Made Me Do It. Ernie used to be a might heavier than he is now, and he blames his penchant for eating well and often too much. This humorous soliloquy is most apt at this time of year. How many of us will overdo the intake of calories and possibly imbibe in high-calorie beverages over the holidays. Good Luck Ernie.

 

Bruce Haedrich has completed the first draft of his latest work, The Janus Moon. Tonight, Bruce read a summary of Chapters 32 through 54. Although you might think a sci-fi story about a group of people setting off into space and abandoning a dying planet is old hat, wait until you read Bruce’s take on that age-old scenario. After all, Bruce wrote the Battery story that upset the Australian Parliament.

 

Homeward Bound Again is what James Kelly read for us tonight. The young man, Tremain, returns to Jefferson Barracks after serving as a Deputy Marshal in the Oklahoma Territories. Accompanied by his wife and baby, he returns to leave her with his adoptive parents as he sets off to join a Calvary unit preparing for deployment to Cuba. He will once again come under the tutelage of Teddy Roosevelt.

 

When Don Westerfield steps to the podium, we grin because we never know what’s coming. This week, Don blessed us with two of his poems. In Walk Away, he tells of a chance viewing of a woman across the room. Could it be? Is she an old flame who’d once broken his heart? Does he dare approach, or should he simply walk away? His reading of Poetic Mediocrity leaves all writers with an insight. We all have harbored doubts about our skills. Is it good? Is it bad? Or is it GREAT?

 

Well, there you have it. I’ve run out of time as well as brain power. I hope you can join us Wednesday, December 20^th at the Nokomis Firehouse for our annual Christmas get-together. Until then…. KEEP ON WRITING!

 

November 15th, 2023

It’s that time of year again. The holidays are coming, and we thank the Nokomis Fire Department for allowing our group to use their training room for our meetings. We began collecting donations at this meeting and will continue at the next meeting. We have a card for each member to sign. If you want to donate, please attend our December 6^th meeting, bring cash, and sign the card. Our meeting on December 20^th will be our annual holiday party. Bring a simple dish and your appetite. We will have readings. Maybe you could bring a little something written in the spirit of the holidays.

 One of my favorite things about our meetings is listening to a writer read their work. I especially enjoy hearing a novice writer’s improvement over the weeks from their first attempt to their ‘much improved’ status after a few meetings. Our members are generous with their help and share their knowledge with beginners. Even as an experienced author, I learn something from every critique of every reading. Join us on the first and third Wednesday of each month and see what I mean. Don’t expect a miracle. We can’t turn you into Stephen King with one or two meetings, but we can highlight some glaring issues to help you become a better writer. And, besides, it’s fun.

 ***

Opening up the first reading session, Peter McNally read from his memoir, Rewired. Peter suffered strokes, physical injury, and sustained seizures, all of which obliterated his intelligence and memory. Now, eighteen years later, he is writing about it. The effort and action required to perform this task are daunting. As a side effect of his work, flashes of his memory return as he delves into shrouded compartments of his damaged brain. Not all the memories are good. Peter’s writing skill has improved along with segments of his memory. Tonight’s reading showed us how frightening it can be to not understand what is happening as you suffer from a seizure. Even those around you don’t understand. Thank you, Peter, for giving us an insight into your world at that time, confusing as it was.

 

Ernie Ovitz writes historical fiction centering on the Roman Empire under the rule of Constantine. But tonight, he stepped away from that genre to bring us another historical story, a true one from his life. In Paradise Lost and Found, he tells of lessons learned from his Grandfather, a doctor in a rural portion of the upper Midwest. Learning how to tie fishing flies under the tutelage of ‘Doc’ was an experience few would ever know. Then, slathering on the mosquito gunk for a trip into the woods and arriving with a woodsman’s stealth at a Trout lake was another skill learned from the master. Watching and doing taught a young Ernie to cast his fly to just the right place. The thrill of hooking a lunker still burns bright in his memory, and with each memory comes the smell that mosquito gunk.

 

Our group is blessed to count several accomplished poets in our midst. Scott Anderson shines bright in the field. As a butterfly enthusiast (Lepidopterist), although Scott only takes pictures and not the butterfly. Now, he enters a contest sponsored by a camera company from Japan to explain his interest in photographing butterflies. As a poet, Scott chooses to present his entry in the form of haiku. Although Scott professes he does not expect to win the contest, his haiku is beautiful and worthy of praise in any writer’s group. Scott took the time to lay out the reasoning and thought in developing his poem. Well done, Scott, and GOOD LUCK.

 

Writers often have a different way of thinking, and Bruce Haedrich is no exception. Bruce explores the world with an eye on ‘what if’ foremost in his mind. What if a rogue moon broke away from a distant planet and came on a collision course with Earth? That thought has developed into a Sci-fi story. Thirty-one chapters later, the characters are strong, the story is captivating, and Bruce is writing furiously. The previous working title of Aquatinia has changed to The Janus Moon, but the plot builds. Watch for Bruce’s story coming to publication soon. Great story.

 

Another of our outstanding poets is Don Westerfield. This week, Don brought us something different. His first poem was concerning the second reading. A Poem Before Its Time, ends with:

“I faced a choice; delete it, or leave it intact.

I ended up, just filing it away,

Maybe I’ll work on it some other day.

Still, I consider it not a failure of rhyme,

Only a poem before its time.”

 Don’s poem, titled, My Truths Unfurled, contains this stanza:

“Criticisms I now take in stride

If I deem them true, and I never brush any aside.

In the end with all my truths unfurled,

Let it be said,

‘He found no disagreements with the world.”

 Don, we love your work and look forward to many more.

 

 

James Kelly writes historical fiction. His characters could have easily existed in the days of yore but are created in his mind and set to paper with skill and loving care. Maybe one or two of them are alive in history. Tremain is created, but the character and dedication of the young Sioux raised by the Calvary Officer and his family ring true. This chapter finds Tremain in Oklahoma as a Deputy Marshall pursuing a wanted fugitive named Indian Joe Devoe. Devoe and his gang killed a local Sheriff and his posse. The Marshall and his deputies track the criminals across the wilds of Oklahoma. Due to Tremain’s tracking skills and dogged resolve of the posse, they find the men camped and unaware they are being stalked by the posse. Taking them prisoner without a shot being fired. Devoe attempts to escape and rides away. Tremain uses a fifty-caliber Sharps rifle to shoot the escaping murderer from a distance of over 800 yards. The action makes the young man an instant legend.

 

Well, that’s about all I have to report for this meeting. I hope to see you all at the next meeting or our Christmas gathering. Remember, no matter what else you do, KEEP ON WRITING!