January 17th, 2024

 

It’s storming up north, and a few cold weather escapees joined us this time. We welcome back Bill Elam, a regular at our winter meetings. JoAnn McGrath joined us as well. Ursula Wong joined us for the first time. Ursula is an established writer who we hope will become a regular attendee. All in, we had fourteen writers in attendance.

Rod, running a little behind schedule tonight, joined us about twenty minutes late. He accepted his tardy slip and started talking. (It’s hard to keep him quiet.)

 

Peter McNally opened the meeting by announcing a project he launched this month. A stroke survivor, Peter has begun an ambitious project to aid stroke and brain injury survivors in finding medical help both for their physical and mental health. He is establishing a non-profit organization through a new website. Peter does this in conjunction while continuing to write his memoir about the trauma he endured. Good Luck, Peter.

The group listened as Rod read an article shared by a group member, Doug Sahlin, on how to create Likable but Flawed Protagonists. As the group discussed the ten steps set forth in the article, a discussion highlighted variations some of us use as everyday tools in character development. A few put together an extensive biography of our main characters, adding to it as the character grows, while others write by the seat of our pants, giving our characters flaws and weaknesses. We create real situations and responses to them. Nobody’s perfect, so why would our character possess traits an ordinary person wouldn’t? Well, maybe it’s sci-fi or depicting a God-like creature that can’t ever be wrong, but even the Norse Gods weren’t perfect.

In fiction and non-fiction work, characters and situations must meet the expectations of readers who live in the real world. Perfection is rare, so allow room in your writing for your characters to make mistakes. Let them fail. Look at yourself, your friends, your antagonists in life. Use their traits and foibles in writing about them. Even though I knew better, I once wrote a chapter about Pepper, a perfect dog. I looked closer, and there were a lot of flaws in Pepper’s behavior. When added to the story, Pepper became an interesting character.

Your protagonist is important, and so is your antagonist. Either could be a person, an animal, a thing, natural or unnatural, real or something straight out of your brain. But it must sound and feel real.

 

With five readers waiting in the wings, we moved on. Bruce Haedrich was first up. Bruce is in the final editing stages of his latest work, The Janus Moon. However, he was pondering several different things, including how to design the cover for the new book. After reading some quotes about the interconnectedness of actions as observed or philosophized by thinkers in history, he presented several illustrations created using AI programs. By using basic instructions and parameters he initiated he created renderings  professional in appearance but looked somewhat manufactured rather than original. He also redesigned the covers of several of his existing works. In my mind, the jury is still out on using AI for anything.

Don Westerfield shared two poems with us this evening. In his The Closet Poet, he exposed his secret fear of ridicule and shame should he publish his work. The poem is a whimsy, as we know, Don has published several collections of his poetry and prose. Reading Unwritten, it seems as if many more poems are lurking in Don’s fertile mind. We can hardly wait.

 

James Kelly brought us Chapter 28, MacKenzie’s War, of his latest work, Tremain. Tremain Running Deer MacKenzie introduces his father to the second in command of the Rough Riders, Teddy Roosevelt. As Commander of the Sixth Calvary, MacKenzie will remain in Tampa as the rest of the force embarks for Cuba. But he sends two sons and a son-in-law into harm’s way. James has taken advice from members of the group and included more about those who had to stay behind including the women, wives and mothers of the soldiers going off to war.

 

Even after an extended absence, Bill Elam’s story of an old man and his beloved old airplane stays fresh in my mind. Bill gave us a little background on the little airstrip and the old pilots who frequented the failing airport as they spun yarns about “The Good Ole Days” in The Little Old Airport. The tales of flying in the days when pilot’s licenses were often non-existent, and instruments consisted of a pilots behind encased in a pair of pants abound while bailing wire, canvas, and glue patched up aircraft and sometimes those pilots.

 

Gary Conkol, whose first book was chosen as the book of the month by the Florida Writers Association, read from his second foray into fiction. His story begins with the receipt of a letter requesting the writer’s presence on a sponsored visit to an undisclosed location. The invitation came from a person the writer only met once. The invite was mysterious in its content. Gary listened to suggestions from several members who urged him to start the story with more suspense and include a “hook” in the opening lines. We’ll find out more at the next reading.

 

That sums up our meeting this time and I look forward to our next meeting, February 7^th here at the firehouse. Until then, read as much as you can and KEEP ON WRITING!

January 3rd, 2024

 

It’s a new year! 2024 is upon us, so let’s make the most of it. I want to start out the year with congratulations to Gary Conkol. Gary’s book, Benevolence, The Way Ahead in a World of Fear, Hate, and Divison, has been selected as the Book of the Month by the Florida Writers Association (FWA). Gary is an accomplished non-fiction and technical writer, but this is his first foray into fiction writing. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read this little gem, I suggest you get a copy and enjoy Gary’s wit and wisdom.

The holiday season is often stressful. I find relaxation in our meetings as I spend time with friends and fellow writers. Our discussions vary in each session. In the half-hour or so during the pre-meeting, when attendees trickle in, some talk has little to do with writing in content but makes for exciting listening. Incidents from our past lives, happenings in our daily routines, and tidbits involving family and neighbors provide a little respite from the holiday anxiety. Writers often find excitement in the most mundane situations, and it’s contagious. Join us at our next meeting on January 17^th. You might learn something new.

Our main goal is to help each other with issues encountered in our writing process. The first portion of our meeting addresses simple matters most of us experience. As we discuss the diverse methods of handling the problem, even the most practiced of us learn from the others as we listen to solutions and varied approaches used to improve the process, or at least make it more definable in our minds. On the 17^th, we will begin the discussion with how we define our characters within the confines of the story. What are some of the tricks, ways, and methods we use, have seen used, or plan to use in our future works. It would be helpful if, during the reading portion of the meeting, our readers read examples of the discussion subject.

 

Okay! We move on to the reading portion of this meeting with Don Westerfied’s reading a pair of his poems. Don explained how he constructs his poetry. A phrase or stanza comes to mind, and he writes it down. Over the following days, months, or even years, he might recall that snippet and add to it or sometimes inspire an entirely new poem. Tonight’s offerings included Insomnia. As daily concerns, memories of days gone by, or sounds in the night delay sleep, distant thunder and rain falling upon the rooftop wash away the encumbrances and bring solace and rest. – Similarly, Reminiscing begins with the phrase, “Wandering old paths at twilight’s ease, I listen to shadows of my years.” As an elder statesman of our group, we all learn from his wisdom and skill. Look for his writings on Amazon.

 

When Bruce Haedrich takes the floor, we wonder, “What will we hear tonight?” This week it was the final chapters of his latest work, The Janus Moon. It’s been 2000 years since the space travelers landed on the planet now known as Aquatania. Archeologists have uncovered the remains of an early city named Agropia on the coast of what is now known as Italy. As the technology of Aquatania is approximately the same as Earth experienced during the 1920s, the machines and products uncovered are vastly advanced and made of materials unfamiliar to the current residents. What have they discovered? Look for Bruce’s book on Amazon soon.

 

Two poems by Richard Cope tell different stories but are similar in context. Rising Water Pilgrim tells of water washing over once dry land as it washes away the debris and dirt of time’s accumulation. Does life renew itself with new experiences? If you’ve ever paddled upriver in a canoe, you can relate to a fantasy trip in My Old Canoe. Reliving memories of dark water, darker woods, and mystery abound in a well-written poem revealing the writer’s accumulated memories. Great job, Richard!

 

Military life is often full of surprises, and James Kelly is qualified to write about such things. In his latest book, Tremain, the young soldier has joined the Rough Riders as they prepare to embark from Tampa en route to Cuba. There, amidst the hustle and confusion of an army preparing for war, Tremain encounters his younger brother, Connor. A surprise, as Tremain didn’t know Connor had enlisted. He thought the boy was in college. As they stroll across the parade grounds, catching up with current circumstances, Colonel Teddy Roosevelt sees them recognizing Tremain, who introduces his brother to the future President. What lies in the future of these men as they depart for an encounter with the Spanish Army in Cuba.

 

Our “Book of the Month” author, Gary Conkol, read a letter he wrote a few days before Christmas. Entitled A Letter to Tragedy, he addresses the different methods of dealing with those awful times in our lives when we are forced to deal with tragic happenings. Looking at the issue from a writer’s POV, Gary asks, “Do we inspire, sympathize, soothe, provoke, sadden, rebuke, or invoke any number of alternate responses?” Do you? Can you say you’ve helped even one person through a personal tragedy?

 

As we had a little extra time near the climax of the meeting, we turned our attention to a subject broached by Anne Moore. Anne is interviewing women who have reached the age of seventy and wish to share their experiences and wisdom with younger women. Many of these women say they did not have a mentor in their younger years. A discussion sprung forth about “What is a mentor?” Is it possible some did have a mentor but didn’t recognize it? What do you think?

 

 

Well, that’s about all I have to say for this session. I hope to see you at the next meeting on January 17^th. Until then, I encourage you to read, read, and read some more. Then, KEEP ON WRITING!