I must be getting old. It seems like just last week we held our writer’s group meeting at the Nokomis Firehouse Training Room. Wait a minute, it was last week, but I didn’t have time to sit down and write this blog until today, Jan 17th. Sorry if you were looking to read it sooner. I hope to do better in the coming weeks.
We started off with a discussion about using timelines as we write. Most of us do, in one form or another. I use an Excel spreadsheet, as do several others. Other spreadsheet programs work just as well. 3X5 cards work well; if you so choose, any note-taking program will also work. The least reliable is the memory method of keeping track of the story arc and times. But if you have a good memory and are not easily distracted, go for it! Remember, keeping your story on track is a must. If the reader can’t follow the story arc or finds glaring errors in your timeline, they will put your book back on the shelf and not look for your name on the author’s page again.
Opening up the reading portion of the meeting, Ernie Ovitz read an offering from Linda Ovitz. Linda jotted down some interesting recollections of our own, Peter Frickel. Some of you were not privileged to know Peter. He, along with Don Westerfield and Rod Digruttolo, was among the early members of our group. I’m breaking my own rule and printing the entire piece as Ernie gave us.
Linda’s recollections of Peter Frickel
January 17, 2023
Soft spoken…orator’s voice—makes me want to listen. Graphic
writing…feeling and visualizing his words—gracious in every sense of the word, whether speaking casually as a friend or reading his words.
Body language - thoughtful. Acknowledging the other person always. Walks in
his “garden” bringing peace to his thoughts. Adventurous. Wishing I had heard more of his stories about Africa.
Wine connoisseur. Always knew what went with which food.
Discernment. When it came to eating. Same as my E.G., Peter enjoyed really delicious dishes and let you know it.
Conservative … voiced opinions on current U.S. policies—never seemed
“worked up.” But, very true to what he believed and not afraid to state it. Good
listening skills. Would pick out things said by others and use it as a topic of
conversation.
Concerns for others ideas and feelings, supportive. Finding the right words to
show his for others thoughts.
Loving. You could always see it in his eyes for Barbara. Her achievements and
knowledge were a source of great pride. His sons … so extremely proud of them.
Grandchildren … instant smile and thoughts all over his face—in complete awe of their inquisitiveness and energy.
Lucy … our dog who loved Peter and him speaking to her in French—
mesmerized her and me listening in. So gentle.
Love, Linda
Thank you, Linda. Those of us who knew him miss his spot-on suggestions and satire.
Don Westerfield brings insightful poetry to our group regularly, and tonight was no exception. Listening as he read, Shadow Song, I felt a twang in my chest as his words brought back memories of my own past. As he embarked on a journey to A Place Called Loneliness, I traveled with him, realizing that one can stand in a crowd and still suffer the pangs of loneliness.
Dennis Cathcart is a world traveler and an expert on tropical plants like bromeliads. How did he establish his reputation? Well, we heard the first chapter of his newest work, entitled The Woman Who Changed Everything. The opening chapter tells of the first encounter the world of exotic plants had with Linda Cathcart, Dennis’s wife of only five days. And that was only the beginning, even as we know Linda today.
Memoir writing can be a ticklish task. While listening to Bob Miller read an essay that may well be a prelude to his actual memoir. I realized he has made a good start. He knows things he wants to write about in the memoir; he simply has to tell the story. Leave behind the good times and bad times, but tell your story in a way that someone who reads it gets to know you.
Bruce Haedrich took the floor and read what might be a prologue to his latest work, Nadia. The summary describes a futuristic world that may well be evolving in the near future. Humanoid robots are being developed by a host of manufacturers to supplement the single-task machines now used in manufacturing. As builders tout the need for tireless workers, stress safety concerns, and seek to reduce costs, they turn to machines rather than humans to perform repetitive tasks. Bruce’s work looks at what might happen as man tries to replace humans.
If you enjoy reading Hiaku, Scott Anderson is your source. Tonight, we heard Scott read 14 of the verses he’s penned recently. These little three-line verses, with as few as six words, tell a story describing a multitude of things we see in our world. The blanket of fog, an image in a mirror, a bird stalking its prey. The world, the heavens, and Scott’s imagination are revealed.
From the fertile mind of Danny Spurlock, we hear a story of a suspicious husband, a take-charge wife, and an online book order. When a book entitled The Art of Embalming is delivered, and the husband asks his wife if she ordered it, her response of “I’ll take care of it” sets off a chain of events only a writer could think of.
In our daily routine, it is not unusual for us to encounter someone who appears to act differently from what we expect of those around us. Beth Socha brought us two poems depicting people who seem different, some might even say odd. In Rascal, a young man who danced to a different music, he and his girlfriend set up housekeeping in the desolate woods. With a new baby, what would happen when winter set in? As Beth read, Linda, The Galloping Horse, we could see and hear the girl’s footsteps as she galloped up and down the street, pretending to be a horse. In her mind, she was.
It was a great meeting; we heard some amazing work, and we look forward to the next one, 6:30 PM Wednesday, January 21st, at the Nokomis Firehouse. Until then, READ, Read, read and read some more, then WRITE, Write, write, and keep on writing.
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