July 19th, 2023

Here we are again. It’s already the second Wednesday in July. We’re already past the halfway mark for this year. It’s still hot, and we are facing August and September, the two hottest months of the year in Florida. That is a great incentive to stay cool indoors and write! Our firehouse meeting room is comfortably air-conditioned. Our next meeting is on August 2nd at 6:30 PM at the Nokomis Firehouse. We hope you can join us. Our summer attendance is smaller, which gives us more time to discuss the readings and topics of interest.

 

To open the meeting, Rod read some excerpts from an article written by Morgan Gist MacDonald. The report listed five things you might need to know before finishing your book. You might want to look it up if you’re ready to complete a manuscript. It might help to read it before beginning your story.

It’s published! Bruce Haedrich presented each of us in attendance with a copy of Gaia, The Living Planet. Thank you, Bruce!

 

Ernie Ovitz opened the reading portion of our meeting with a continuation of the third in a series of short stories set in the dystopian future of the United States, The Watchtower. Commander Michael Adam West prepares to beard his foe, the FBI Agent who wishes to arrest him, in the Watchtower. Aided by Mr. Woo, he wears his tailored uniform of AAA quality instead of the dirty clothing of a homeless man he’s been wearing as a disguise. He recalls the past as he thinks of his ally Admiral Tom Scott, who took him from the political morass of the Pentagon and transferred West to Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado. What will happen? Is this the end of our valiant hero? Stay tuned for more thrilling adventures same time, same station, next meeting.

 

With maturity comes wisdom and experience. A poet ofttimes uses both to tell their story. Don Westerfield is a master of his art. Harking back to the days of shaft mining coal in The Coal Miner, hard men do a hard job in the earth’s bowels for near-slavery wages. They enter the stairway to hell each day, greeted by a sign, Welcome to Purgatory. --- An opening line, “Where did you go?” sets off Don’s Lament of Youth. Men and women have long asked this question as they search for their youth. An entreating plaintiff of “Come back, come back” drifts on the breeze, only to be ignored by time.

 

Things that go bump in the night may have elicited a shudder of fright from all of us. Gary Conkol tells of one such experience at two o’clock A.M. noise snatched him from a sound sleep. The thought of taking a firearm with him crossed his mind. No, he thought, I don’t own one. Marching to the kitchen, the sound is louder from the dining room. What kind of criminal makes that much noise? Oh, the title of this little story is, The Night I Shot the Robot Vacuum.

 

Bruce Haedrich read the last chapter of his short story, The Searchers. A young woman, Marcie has spent years searching for her birth mother. She met the man of her dreams, who encouraged her throughout the process. An obituary in a local paper takes her to a memorial service for a woman she did not know but whose name had appeared in several searches over the years. The only attendees at the service were the young woman and six older ladies seated in the front pew. When the service ended, the women approached Marcie. What did Marcie find out? Wait for Bruce’s collection of short stories entitled The Girl In The Red Shirt to become available.

 

Short stories are excellent vehicles. A lifetime can pass in the few pages that comprise a short story. Richard Cope tells such a tale in his story, The Girl With The Ball. Lucy Kingston suffers abuse from her peers, especially The girl with the ball. Now a patient at The Cloisters, she listens as a Psychiatrist speaks to a theater of people as she lies drugged and immobile before them. “What is the mind?” he asks, “Is it simply the brain, or is it something we can isolate within the brain?” The teaching lesson is a precursor to Lucy being subjected to ECT (Electro Convulsive Therapy), or, as we may call it, Shock Treatment.

 

Anne Moore is working on crafting an invitation for women turning seventy to enroll in her project of allowing women with life experiences to share their wisdom with others, especially younger women. Anne’s project is entitled 70@70.

 

James Kelly closed the evening’s reading session with a chapter from his current work, Tremain. It’s 1893, and Tremain is nineteen years old and on a mission to visit the Lakota people of his tribe. Having been raised by a Calvary Officer and his wife, Tremain is encouraged to stay in contact with his people, especially his Grandfather. At the trading post, he encounters a girl nearly his age. Smitten at first sight, a condition noticed immediately by his white mother, the boy stumbles through an introduction. Beth Tyler has a white father and a Lakota mother. She is also the most beautiful girl Tremain has ever seen. Look for Jim’s books if you like historical fiction, especially American Military History.

 

Well, that about sums it up for this time. We’ll meet again on August 2^nd at the Firehouse in Nokomis. Until then, stay safe and cool, and above all, KEEP ON WRITING!

 

July 5th, 2023

First, I apologize for not getting the last post out on time. No excuse; I screwed up and didn’t press the “PUBLISH” button. My bad. It’s now published.

Here’s hoping everyone had a nice Independence Day and is safe. I hope the explosions in your neighborhood didn’t keep you awake too late, nor did they traumatize your pets. Years ago, a neighbor launched a fireworks display to rival the municipal show. When the evening ended, he cleaned up the debris and put it in his garbage can. Unfortunately, the must have been some unexploded shells included in his discard. At approximately 2:30 AM, at least one of the shells ignited. Because the trash can was tightly sealed, the Fire Marshal concluded, “Several unexploded bombs were activated.” The resulting explosion blew out windows in the neighbor’s home, cracked a few in my house, and deposited the remains of his trashcan in his swimming pool after descending through the screen roof of his pool cage. The sound of the explosion was audible over a mile away. His dog hid under the bed every time he heard the trash can lid open or close until the day the poor animal died.

Seven hardy souls attended the meeting this evening. After a pre-meeting discussion of bizarre experiences involving aircraft (Several of our members are retired from careers that included flight, military, and commercial.)  Six of us presented a bit of reading for the group to assess.

Taking a break from the history of Constantine’s reign over Rome, Ernie Ovitz read the second part of his story set in a dystopian future. This is the third episode of a developing tale, The Watchtower, following Michael Adam West, a former military intelligence analyst and number one on the FBI’s most wanted list. Commander West wrote an unpublished novel about how the Chinese could take over America. Only one copy of the book was purported to exist. It was submitted to the intelligence community as required by his profession. Barred from publication, a copy somehow found its way into the hands of the Chinese government. Using it as a template, the Chinese government prevailed and conquered the United States. Now, the FBI is under the control of the Chinese as they seek Commander West, who may hold the key to driving out the conquering forces. Tension and suspense abound in every paragraph.

 

A September Spring is what Don Westerfield titled his short story about a retired author reuniting with a former love. An avalanche trapped the author’s wife under tons of snow and debris. Her ski partner died, but she was saved. Unfortunately, the accident revealed a lover’s tryst, and the wife was left brain-damaged from lack of oxygen. A young nurse was hired to attend to the needs of the disabled woman. Over time the woman regained her motor skills but not her memory. Her mentality was that of a juvenile, and her comprehension was severely limited. Over time the author and the nurse fell in love. The wife discovered them in a compromising situation, and her limited mental capacity couldn’t handle it. The author sent the nurse away. After ten years, the wife died of natural causes, and the author was alone. The nurse returns. What could possibly happen?

 

Bruce Haedrich has published his latest book, Gaia. We wish him all the best and hope it creates a bigger stir than his work, The Battery. Bruce has resumed work on an unpublished piece with the working title, The Girl With the Red Shirt. In this chapter called The Searchers, Marcie searches for her birth parents. At her university, she joins a group with the same goal. She met a young man in the group. His name was Jason. His charm and wit won her over, and they became a couple, eventually marrying. When a son was born, Marcie thought her life was complete. But was it? An obituary in the local paper caught her attention…

 

A poet, a writer of talent, and now a songwriter, Richard Cope read the lyrics of The Delta Blues. As usual, his blues are brought on by a woman. In When the New Wears Off, he tells of disappointment and abandonment. Have you ever contemplated a hole? In The Hole Story, Richard does just that. Is a hole a void, or is it filled with wonder?

 

A Chest of Drawers is almost unnoticed most of the time, but catching the eye of a poet like Scott Anderson can make a difference; a green drawer holds items of spring; an orange drawer may contain memories of summer; does the yellow drawer speak of autumn; what does the gray drawer hold; could it be the remnants of winter? How different do we see things through the eyes of a poet?

 

Do circumstances demand you to be a Lady or a Gentleman at times? In Rod Digruttolo’s story, Jessie and Sam, the virtues of a retiree living next door to a voluptuous young woman are tested. Retrieving a newspaper from the driveway, Jesse suffers a wardrobe malfunction with Sam standing beside her. Does Sam respond as a gentleman should? Use your imagination.

 

As Peter McNally was in attendance this evening, we welcome him and understand he has been busy taking care of his mother, who is ill. Our best wishes are with you, and we hope you can get back to your writing as circumstances permit. Thank you for your presence.

It’s about time to call it a day, remember, read, read, and read some more, then KEEP ON WRITING!

 

June 21, 2023

From our good friend and fellow writer here in Sarasota, Anne Moore. Anne’s project is a wonderful way to connect with people and learn some mysteries of life until now, available only to those who have experienced them. 

 

Anne in her garden in Michigan for the summer

             70at70

Are you a woman who is, or will be turning, 70 this year who lives an inspired life? And who believes that sharing advice and hard-won life lessons could benefit younger women and girls?

If yes, you’re invited to join the 70@70 Project, where 70    inspired and inspiring women offer the kind of advice we may wish we had been given.

All that’s involved is a short interview with questions such as, “What’s your best advice for living well?” and “As a little girl, who or what made you feel powerful?” Interviewees say, “It’s a fun experience!”

 

For more info, contact project author Anne Moore at:

hello70at70@gmail.com

Connect with the project at www.70at70.com

 NOTE: WEBSITE MAY NOT BE ACTIVE AT THIS TIME!

 

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It’s the first day of summer and threatening rain, how many are going to brave the elements, heat and rain to attend this meeting? This was the thought running through my mind as I drove south in a driving rain. SURPRISE! Seven stalwarts, myself, and a new attendee showed up. Welcome, Dale Buhr whose new book Over is now on Amazon. Dale brings another point of view to our group and we hope he finds us interesting so he continues to attend on a regular basis.

We moved right into the reading portion of the meeting after some general conversation and updates on progress by our members.

Leading off the reading was Dennis Cathcart, author of Koulev, adventures of an American Snake Hunter, Book One. Dennis has completed Book Two. Having written the two books using the POV of the writer first person present, he is working on an adventure using a third person POV. It’s new to him, and he’s excited. Based on a true incident, some details may suffer a little embellishment occasionally. Dennis asked for the group’s opinion on using a Prologue. Most suggested diving right in with the first chapter and using flashbacks to explain why the protagonist is in a predicament. This work follows along with the real-life Dennis’ adventures.

As Ernie Ovitz took the floor, he announced a departure from his tales of the Roman Empire under the rule of Emperor Constantine. Tonight he relates the beginning of an adventure set in the dystopian future. Commander Michael West walks through the urban jungle of New York City. West is a fugitive. He has nationwide warrants for his arrest outstanding. Today he beards the beast by being in the city.

A poem and the lyrics to a song carry the lilt and refrain of life as read by Don Westerfield. In the poem Crevices, a verse,  

 

“And deep within

the crevices of my being

are yet stored those many

wistful memories,”

 

gives us an insight into the workings of a mature mind. And Then You Were Gone is a song of regret. Looking back on the time of love and the drive to see into the future and lamenting the past result in lost love and the pain of regret.

Gary Conkol is venturing into the world of fiction writing. Accomplished in writing nonfiction prose, he attacks learning to tell a story with zeal and passion. Having discussed an outline and asking questions as to the mechanics of getting to the crux of a story, Gary has written an opening to an intriguing story. As his character focuses on addressing an audience and discerning which listeners are interested in his project of building a Utopian society, we can feel the tension and butterflies in our stomachs remembered from past experiences. Good job, Gary!

Bruce Haedrich wasn’t with us for the last meeting as he underwent surgery and was recovering at home. This week he’s back and ready to read his latest addition to Gaia’s history lesson on our planet. In this section entitled, The Land of Canaan, Gaia tells of the depravity of humanity in how early civilizations abused their citizenry, especially the most vulnerable children. These patterns of horrendous actions are repeated time after time throughout our history and are still being practiced in some form today. Does Gaia say humanity is doomed, but the planet will survive?

Is time travel possible? Maybe, but I’m sure the visitors from the future or past must be meticulous in not letting us find out who they are. But in his new book Over, Dale Buhr takes us on a journey into the past as a man suffering over losing his wife makes a drunken wish over a gemstone before he falls asleep. Upon awakening, he finds himself in his childhood bedroom. Upon looking in a mirror, his eighteen-year-old self looks back at him. Dale’s book is available on Amazon and promises to be a good read.

The time sped by, and here we are, approaching the hour to end our time together. I hope all enjoyed this get-together. Remember, read, read, and read some more, then–KEEP ON WRITING.