Having missed the previous meeting, Rod was once again in attendance. The pre-meeting meet and greet was in full swing with three unfamiliar faces among those gathered when he called the meeting to order. Trish Roberts, Tanya Young, and Danny Spurlock joined us tonight. Trish and Tanya had attended a previous meeting some time ago and decided to take part again as they’ve established themselves in our community. Danny joined us for the second time as well, having attended the prior meeting from which Rod was absent. We welcome the trio into the fold.
Rod asked, “How do you set aside time to write? Do you schedule time? Or do you simply grab a few minutes when the rigors of your day allow?
An almost equal number of attendees said they schedule time vs those who write when the can carve out a block of minutes/hours in an otherwise busy day. Our group consists mainly of non-full-time authors who enjoy the craft and are willing to share that enjoyment with others. A few of us may strive to be full time writing pros, but our daily lives will not allow us that pleasure.
Then, after listening to the group detail their writing schedule, Rod asked, “What do you do when your writing is unexpectedly interrupted?”
Looking back on the eleven other faces in the room, the expressions ranged from placid acceptance to hostility. The first verbal response was, “I yell!” After that, a flood of answers flowed forth. Almost everyone decried the interruptions as unwelcome, but a few said it’s part of the process; others agreed with yelling or at least expressing disappointment verbally. Most of us agreed that the reason for interrupting should be of some importance other than for a routine reminder or to do a repetitive chore. Phone calls from a publisher did not count as an interruption, or at least no one mentioned it.
Moving on from the discussion and into the reading portion of the meeting, several readers changed their planned reading material. They read interrupted pieces completed despite the inconvenience.
Scott Anderson took the floor with a poem entitled Chest of Drawers. In the hallway of his home stands a chest of drawers, each drawer painted a different color. In his poetic thinking, the colors represent a season in his life—Green, the spring, with burgeoning dreams and goals—Orange, the summers, pleasant, warm, and productive—Yellow, the autumn, maturity and understanding—Gray, the winter, cold and disturbing. Here, he stores the memories of each season.
A traveler for both pleasure and work, Dennis Cathcart has enjoyed seeing a variety of cultures. Tonight, Dennis shared a trip to Ecuador as a younger man in the company of a good friend as they searched for exotic plants. Dennis relates a story of adventure and friendship in A Dead Mule and Naked Ladies. Searching for accommodations for the night near the coast of Ecuador, they enter a small city. In the heart of the business district, they come upon the carcass of a dead mule lying in an intersection. There has been no attempt to remove the animal, nor do preparations appear to be underway. They drive past the fly-infested carcass and continue to a small coastal town. Tired and hungry they procure lodging and enjoy an evening meal. Dennis’ friend is tired and decides to go to bed early but Dennis sets out to explore the little town. He comes upon a carnival near the beach where an attraction catches his eye. As a herpetologist, anything having to do with snakes draws his attention. A poster of a shapely young woman handling a monstrous Boa Constrictor entices him to pay the admission fee to see such a sight. A naked woman is in a cage filled with several Boas as they slither over her body in a dimly lit tent. After a few minutes, she exits the cage, and the show ends. Dennis returns to the hotel, and his traveling companion asks, “What’s going on?” Dennis says, “I’ll tell you in the morning,” and goes to bed. The next day the disappointed companion rues having missed the show, but the carnival has packed up and departed in the night. Look for the rest of the story in Dennis’s next book of adventures. Oh, BTW, the dead mule was still there when they passed through the town on the following day, now bloated and looking as if it might explode at any moment.
Instead of reading another chapter of a story, Don Westerfield read two poems finished after an interruption. When Seasons End, tells of the passing of another year in the poet's life and his looking forward to the coming years. Morning In Small Town America is a metered look at the daily life of millions of Americans in small towns across our great nation. The final line of the piece reads “It is good to live here, here in my small town America, and I am content.” Thank you Don.
Bruce Haedrich begins a new story by returning to his character, Dan Marin, a private detective with many talents. Reading the rough draft of his first two chapters, The Fugitive drew the attention of almost all of our writers. Suggestions and ideas filled the room, as well as questions as to “What happens next?” when Bruce left us hanging. I smell a rewrite in the making as Bruce clarifies how Dan Marin became an Admiral in the Navy of Oceana, a nation made up of a flotilla of ships. Stay tuned for more.
Reading for the first time, Trish Roberts brings us in Without Consent, the story of a high school senior, Mave, who became pregnant during a trip to Ireland. Forced by her mother Mave returns to Ireland to give birth in a Mother/Baby home run by a religious group in Dublin. Years later, after the death of her husband, a NYC Fire Chief, Mave must face the fact she has kept hidden from discovery all these years. Can she muster the courage to do what she must?
Reading the opening pages of a new story, Richard Cope tells of a young woman named Sarah Covington, a Musical Prodigy and recovering drug addict now studying in Paris. Sarah meets an older gentleman named Winston at a party. Winston recognizes her from an establishment famous among the circles of addiction and pleasure in London. What are is motives? What will she do?
Children’s lit is a tricky genre, but Danny Spurlock’s story Gnomes in the Garden tells the story of a boy who loves to garden but must endure the pranks and outright devilry caused by a pair of Gnomes who don’t want him working in their garden. Danny seems to have a handle on the story. I’m waiting to see what happens next.
Tanya Young is a poet. She read her work, Loving to the Sound. As nature’s creations fill her mind with their being, she sets those loving words on paper, instilling an image in the listener’s mind.
Mystery and intrigue fill the pages of Ursula Wong’s Strategic Deception. A computer program’s creator regrets selling it to an unscrupulous developer. The agent has used a notorious hacker to change the program from a boon for education and business purposes to a tool for international spycraft and deception. How can she stop him?
The evening ended. Smiles on the attendee’s faces seemed to say they enjoyed the meeting and very possibly learned a little something from it. We did hear some really good writing and look forward to seeing the development of each piece. Our next meeting is July 3rd here at the firehouse. Until then, read as much as you can and KEEP ON WRITING.
