March 16th, 2022

 

A rain-soaked day for sure, capped off by a tornado, made me expect a low turnout for our meeting. But, writers are a dedicated bunch–eleven of us showed up despite the weather. As usual, we opened with a discussion about things that affect our writing. Our group is here to promote authorship, not censor or discuss the subject matter. Some government agencies and elected officials seek to determine what books and written material are appropriate for citizens to read. Books banned in some areas include classics and even religious texts in a direct assault on the constitution of our country. I support the right of parents to determine what their children may or may not read, but I cannot help others decide what I, or my children, can read or write. Enough said.

 

We moved on to the reading and help portion of the meeting. Leading off this evening was Ernie Ovitz. Reading from Imperium, the Thirteenth Apostle, Book 3, Chapter 17 of his trilogy, Ernie described a meeting of Christian Bishops in Caesarea. The historical meeting established immense changes in the early Christian influence within the Roman World. There was a lot of feedback from the group. It is challenging to incorporate such an essential role in world history into a novel, and Ernie works hard to make it work. We hope some of the comments will help ease his burden.

 

When John Hearon began to read, he picked up where he left off at the last meeting. John informed us how some of the group’s suggestions found their way into his previous section. Using those suggestions, he has modified more of this chapter. Reading from I Wasn’t Always a Hero, John tells us of a stranger in the Irish Pub frequented by Mick and his cohorts who creates a stir with his “out of place” dress and manners. But he makes Mick an offer that stirs a curiosity within. Will he follow up? The stranger’s words are threatening and promising at the same time. Suggestions from the group included taking a careful look at the length of the book’s chapters. John seemed to like the idea.

 

As are many writers, Peter Frickel is a letter writer and has been since childhood. Almost ready for publication is a collection of letters written by and to Peter. He prefaced his reading by expressing the thrill of receiving or posting a letter. How it makes one anxious to see what’s inside the sealed envelope is matched only by the feeling of finality one has when a note is taken by the postman from the mailbox, knowing it is final, it can’t be recalled or changed. Then, a letter he once wrote to friends in Africa upon searching for their daughter in the Congo. It was a time of war. The daughter, a Nun teacher, was hunted by insurrectionists and in great danger. Peter’s letter describes the scenes of death and murder perpetrated by and on “boy soldiers” during the conflict. His description of mothers searching for their ten, eleven, etc., year-old sons among the hundreds of bodies filling the roadside ditches is traumatic and heart-rending. Look for the work on Amazon soon.

 

Ponce De Leon searched Florida for the Fountain of Youth for years. It’s unclear as to if he found it. Ian Schagen has an idea about that. Fleeing from the police, Professor William Catnip, a cybernetics instructor at a University in West Florida, stole an airboat and was racing across the Everglades. Unfamiliar as to the properties of an airboat, he struck a stump deep in uncharted waters. Darkness quickly approached as he stumbled through knee-deep water into a grove of cypress trees, encasing a second grove of strange plants. A glowing light within the forest of weird plants drew him to it. Interrupted by a monster alligator, fully 13 feet in length, intent on making a meal of the stumbling man, he fired several shots to stop the gator’s charge. The noise frightened the beast. It turned toward the ball of light with strange results. As it neared the ethereal glow, the gator shrunk in size. By the time it turned away and raced back past the Professor, it was a mere infant only 10 or 12 inches in length. Using his phone, the man took a selfie. His beard was no longer white but a healthy brown, and he felt the stirring of his lost libido. Had he found The Fountain of Youth? Look for Ian to publish a collection of short stories to find out.

 

The Girl in the Red Shirt, Bruce Haedrich’s Noir short story, will soon be available in a collection he plans to publish. An Army Ranger wounded in Vietnam falls in love with his nurse. When the leader of a street gang kills her in Chicago, the Ranger sets out on a mission of revenge. Does he succeed? Will he complete his dark task?

 

Rick Baily writes from the heart, and music helps him focus. Influenced by Bob Dylan, his work A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall takes a bizarre turn as the protagonist in his story is a street lamp beside a bus stop. One of a series of stories about light that begins with fire and progresses through time. The lamp watches as life goes on beneath its glow. A beautiful woman waits for a bus and becomes a favorite of our watcher. Her life changes as she grows and changes. A car crash, a Samaritan, and friends help her change from a beautiful woman into a beautiful human. Rick, your work deserves to be read; we hope you can publish it soon.

 

We’ve enjoyed Don Westerfield’s poetry and prose for years. Today’s works are as mighty and full of inspiration as always. Tonight’s reading of Metaphor of Life strikes deep in our hearts as Don compares life to an actor’s time on stage. Not to be outdone, his The Last Parade strikes a chord in every person’s life with a finality present in its predicted suspense, “Closer, closer the marchers come.”

 

We ran out of time tonight, and James Kelly graciously acquiesced to reading first at the next meeting. Thank you, James.

Until the next time, April 6^th, 2022, right here at the Nokomis Fire House, please KEEP ON WRITING!

March 3rd, 2022

Okay, I’m back. I’ve been away for a couple of meetings. My wife and I have been moving and are still unpacking. I didn’t know we’d accumulated so much “stuff.” Thank you all for indulging in my absence.

Our meeting started with a discussion. I asked the attendees (there were ten of us) did we include some of our aspects, quirks, traits, or whatever in our characters? Do we write to please others or ourselves?

The half-hour-long discussion was lively and informative. The first question was answered with a resounding “yes,” even though sometimes we give our characters the right to do things we would never do but think about with nefarious delight. One of the great things about writing is that we can be as good or evil as our minds can envisage, sometimes even more than imagined. The devil and angel on our shoulder often guide us to ultra dark or enlightened places only our minds can conceive.

We all want to please ourselves with our writing unless it is a contracted piece. If a writer takes on a job for a client, you need to satisfy your client. After all, they’re paying for the privilege. 

 

We tabled our discussion as we had a lot of writers wanting to share their stuff. Ernie Ovitz led off, reading a selection from Chapter 15 of The Thirteenth Apostle, in which Constantia, Constantine’s wife, seeks the counsel of a Christian Bishop. Her brothers have attempted to usurp the emperor’s crown but have failed. After their defeat, she wishes to plead for their lives to her husband. Will mercy abound? A riveting story pulled from the pages of history. Good job, Ernie.

South Boston is the setting for John Hearon’s I Wasn’t Always A Hero. Mick, an enforcer for loan sharks in the city, meets a stranger wearing a suit and tie in a “Southie” hangout bar. The wine-drinking stranger is as out of place as a screen door on a submarine. Will he survive the night?

Poetry from the mind of Don Westerfield is a beautiful thing to behold. Tonight Don graced us with three short but meaningful works. Echos, To Race the Wind, and Memento Mori. Echos explored the memories of a mature and wiser person thinking back over the rights and wrongs they’ve committed. To Race the Wind can be physical or metaphysical in its interpretation. The thrill of soaring above the world as a pilot or a spirit; each brings forth a wondrous joy. We’ve all lost someone, but Don’s time in the military meant he lost more than a few close friends. In Memento Mori, Don mourns the loss as he relives the moments of an Honor Guard’s reflection over a flag-draped coffin.

Seeking something missing from the opening chapter of his new work, Rod DiGruttolo read his draft, hoping for help finding that little missing piece. Under attack by ruthless pursuers, Leah has to fight back with skill and courage. Set in the outskirts of Tehran overlooking the city, Leah neutralizes three attackers and escapes. But to what does she escape.

Have you ever read something and felt as if it was written in black and white like the old Noir movies? Bruce Haedrich has done it in The Girl in the Red Shirt. The opening paragraph shocks with, “I was looking at the man I came to kill.” After that, it does something impossible; it gets even more exciting.

When Peter McNally first came to us, he was recovering from a devastating illness. He still is, but his writing skills have blossomed, and his story, Rewired, is unfolding with clarity drawing us in deeper with each reading. How can a person recover all the facilities taken away by massive strokes? How can one find those memories wiped from their brain by a calamity? Go for it, Peter!

James Kelly takes us back to 1875 in the Dakota territories. In These Sacred Lands, he unfolds a tale of the unlikely relationship between a Lakota Brave and a U.S. Calveryman. In the chapter entitled Woman Walks Alone, James tells us of one of the many hardships of Native Americans as the brave’s wife prepares to have her first child. It’s a haunting story of devotion and personal pain.

Have you contemplated how we would know when “time” was coming to an end? Rick Bailey has, and he wrote about in A Bird hit the Windshield. When a bird strikes the windshield of a car driven by a young woman, she panics. For a few moments, she cannot move as the shock causes her to lift her hands from the steering wheel. Her passengers bring her back to reality, but the author wonders did the bird fly into the window glass by mistake or on purpose? Do animals know when their time is coming to an end? DO WE? I want to hear more of Rick’s work, don’t you?

 Well, that concludes all I can remember, even with the notes I take, of what happened. If you need to know more, join us. We have a lot of fun and help each other with writing issues. We ain't perfect, but we're sincere in our advice. So, until next time; KEEP ON WRITING!

FEBRUARY 2nd, 2022. That's 2/2/22

Here it is, February already. Another month of Covid has passed. Let's hope it will soon be a thing of the past. We received news our friend Bill Elam will be unable to attend tonight's meeting due to a possible positive test for this darn disease. Be careful to take precautions. We never know when it will strike.

Ernie prepared something for us to think about. (Yeah, I know, it's a preposition at the end of a sentence, but it works.) We all write for different reasons. Most of us write because we enjoy writing. A few might expect to make a few dollars. Only a few, actually only one I can remember, expect to get rich. Ernie says his bookshelf contains a wide range of genres. Some are from the writers in our group; some are classics; some are simply writings passed down by generations of readers. He brought two of those books passed on to him by his father and grandfather. On the fly-page, a friend of his grandfather, Lew Sarett, a poet and author of Lake Superior Country, wrote a dedication to Ernie's grandfather, also named Ernie. A pioneer aviator in a Piper Cub, Duane Cole, was a friend of Ernie's father. His book, Vagabond Cub, was given to Ernie's dad with a nice note on the first page. No matter the reason you write, be prepared to share your work with the world. If you get lucky or work hard enough through advertising, maybe you will get rich. WHO KNOWS?

Ernie Ovitz led off the reading portion of the meeting by sharing a poem written by Lew Sarett. Chippewa Flute Song is one Ernie said he could not do justice to the poem, reading it as a Native American chant with specific voice tone changes was beyond his range. He read it as Ernie and the work came across as a melancholy song.

When Peter Frickel took the floor, we knew we would hear something special, we always do. Reading of a Country Cottage in England, Peter's words became images in our minds. We see the trees, stark and reaching out to hold the branches of others. We smell the disrepair of the grounds, visit the sagging fence, observe the tangle of Mulberry Bushes pressing in on the walls. But above all, it calls to us to inhabit this lonely little cottage. A second reading, A Dead Lady in the Street, carries us to another dimension. After finding an older woman lying in the streets of Paris, the writer realizes she had a letter. He retrieves the letter to post in her stead. He stops at a Café after leaving the woman in the care of authorities. He experiences a desire to read the letter and carefully opens it. Before he can read, a woman interrupts him and asks if she could sit at his table, as there are no other spaces available. Acquiescing, he returns the letter to his pocket and orders a drink, a mixture of Absinthe, sugar, and ice. The woman asks, "why are you troubled?" He looks into her eyes and sees them as the dead woman's eyes. The Garcon grasps his shoulder and shouts, "Awaken! You have a bad dream."

As John Hearon approached the front of the room, he said, "I don't think I can follow Peter." Well, he could, and he did. Writing a Fantasy, John sets the story in South Boston. McNeal "Mick" Brevy is conducting Business as Usual, the opening chapter of I Wasn't Always a Hero. While collecting a loan from a shady character in an alley behind the local tavern with two brothers, his muscle, stands ready to take action should it be needed, even Mick is unaware of what will happen. Will the Galic Spirits that live inside his second soul take over?

SyFy is a wide-open field for an imaginative mind. Ian Schagen has the kind of mind to envision an other-worldly existence while still embracing the quirks of our imperfect world. Andromeda, Chapter 6, tells us of a young woman assaulted by a group of men running from the law as she discovers an internal power of which she's unaware. The story unfolds on a distant planet in a distant galaxy with action aplenty.

As a poet, Don Westerfield shows us insight into life. As a storyteller, his sense of humor comes to the fore. In tonight's reading, The Chamber, we see as Don said, "I don't think it's too hard to write a spy story." Our hero jumps from one adventure to another with barely a breath between them. Skiing in snow-covered mountains, a paid assassin is foiled eliminated while in a love nest with our hero. Moments later, he leaves the mountain retreat and is kidnapped by enemy agents and flown over the ocean. The pilot bails out, leaving him handcuffed in a plane without fuel. He picks the lock on the handcuffs and lands the plane in the water next to a yacht crewed by an all-female crew of beautiful models led by a gorgeous woman assassin known as the Black Widow. After spending a week aboard the boat, he is reluctantly set ashore in Miami. Oh my gosh, he escapes again just as he's about to die an…! Well, you'll have to read this for yourself. Don's tongue-in-cheek humor keeps you grinning. More Don!

You've heard of Toby, the fabulous hound from Bean County, Tennessee. Well, Richard Cope tells us he's at it again, this time at the Bollweevel Ball and Cotillion. It seems a notorious old razorback come down out of the hills to root around in the trash. Toby got left in the truck and ordered to be good. When one of them female cooks started hollerin about that there hog in the trash, Toby come out that truck and run him off good. Unfortunately the sheriff and some others, see Toby out by the trash but don't see no hog. Toby gets the blame. But we all know the real story. Don't we?

It's been a while, but Peter McNally is still writing his story, Rewired. Having suffered multiple strokes, Grand Mal Seizures, and a plethora of debilitating setbacks, including losing the ability to read, write, or even eat. He has recovered most of his intelligence, but not all of his memory. What he does remember is powerful and frightening. Go for it, Peter!

How many of you include quotes in the stories or books you write? Several in our group do. Bruce Haedrich picks selections that further his story; some are historical; some are thought-provoking, and others fit in with the genre of the story. What do you do?

When a memoir is so intense, it can make a good novel. That is what Tish McAuley found out about her life. She is converting her story into a novel format. It is a fascinating story. I can't wait to read more as I have the privilege of doing some editing for her.

 

Well, I guess that's about all for this evening. We heard some powerful stories and experienced great fellowship with like-minded writers. Until we meet again, please, KEEP ON WRITING.

JANUARY 19TH, 2022

 Sarasota Writers Group

Our meeting began a six-thirty pm after a lively networking period. Our fearless leader Rod DiGruttolo was unavoidably absent and Ernie Ovitz filled in.

Thirteen members were present and eleven wanted to read, so we began with first on the sign-in sheet, Bill Elam, reading from his Old Man stories. Bill says he thinks he needs one or two more chapters to finish this long-time work in progress. Bill has a great story going and we hope he gets there.

Linda Grischy and her husband have wealth of experience in the property rental business and she has written a book to offer words of wisdom to prospective landlords. She read from her chapter describing the risks associated with tenants with pets. While she was quick to explain that there are many good tenants that have pets, those that are irresponsible can be a costly nightmare for property owners. Her writing was well done and informative.

Bruce Haedrich read an essay titled The Gift. In it he shared his recollections of a gift from his mother, a framed print of Rudyard Kipling’s poem If-. He brought his treasure and let us all see the framed work, one he had taken with him throughout life.

John Heacon read a short work on the relationship between fathers and sons. A lively discussion followed.

Ian Schagen read from his science fiction piece. His protagonist Andraus is drawn to a hidden world where strange beings reveal his destiny.

James Kelly continued with his story of Army life in the Old West. Joshua graduates from West Point while his father looks on.

Peter Frickel penned a fun piece My Neighbors Cat he followed with one humbly titled Me: his thoughts and reflections on a train trip to Paris and his lovely companion who greats him there. As he has done so many times before, Peter set the literary standard in our group.

After a break we continued are readings with Don Westerfield sharing two of his poems: The Human Race and The Road We Travel; wisdom from the man from Indiana we all enjoyed.

Anne Moore passed on her opportunity to read, but shared her appreciation for our writers. Her research project is underway looking to capture the story of women reaching their seventieth year.

Dennis Cathcart has been working on his memoir and the story of his life’s adventures finding reptiles and rare plants from around the world. He wants his readers to understand that his book is a whole lot more than one about snakes. We couldn’t agree more after hearing many of Dennis’ adventure stories. Tonight he read his preface titled About this Book.

Richard Cope read another of his tales of Toby the hound dog from his fictional Bean County, Tennessee. He began by reminding us that this coming Sunday, January 23, is National Pie Day. We should have known what to expect, there was a pie contest going on in Bean County. All was going well until Toby showed up. What a hoot! The group encouraged Richard to publish his Toby stories.

The discussion turned to marketing and Bill Elam shared his experience creating and marketing “targeted” print images to professionals through their associations. His point was that we as authors can do the same if our goal is making money from our writing. A lively discussion followed. Susan Haley was on the list to read next, but she said she was enjoying the marketing discussion too much, and so the discussion continued until nine pm when the meeting adjourned.

Susan Haley is on our list to read first at our next meeting.

For the group,

Ernie Ovitz

January 5th, 2022

The first meeting of the new year is always exciting. Of the seventeen attendees, only three did not choose to share some of their work with us. We did not prepare for writing issues discussions this month, so we went right into the reading portion of our evening.

We welcomed a first-time attendee John Hearon to the meeting. I hope John enjoyed our group and comes back regularly. We use a sign-in sheet to remember who attended our meetings. I have a hard enough time remembering where I’m supposed to be, let alone who was there with me. I usually call on those who wish to read in the order they’ve signed in. Come early, read early. We ask if you read, be courteous enough to remain throughout the meeting, and listen to your fellow readers. They listened to you. Also, participate in the discussion following the readings, even if it’s a simple comment of appreciation. Be honest and tactful in giving critique.

Our first reader of the evening was Peter Frickel. As usual, Peter’s offerings were poignant, evoking emotion with each word. Differences brought to mind the soft, caring hands of a mother compared to the firm guiding hands of a father as they maneuvered a young boy along the path to manhood. The Space Between Loving shows us those moments, days, weeks, months, even years after a love is gone for any reason. Memories, regrets, and wishes guide us forward as we move on. Struggles, are they worth it? Man On the African Plain shows us a conversation, a realization, and a departure. The joy of a fellow traveler, the pain of realizing the future is less satisfying than the past, and moving on into an uncertain future shows us the circle of life. As always, well done, Peter.

When Ian Schagen stepped up to read his newest sci-fi adventure, Armontiriath, he began with a summary of previous events leading up to the portion he would read this evening. Space travel, a mutiny, factions with opposing political and civilization views have created a civil war before attempting to settle on a newly discovered planet beyond our galaxy. A haunting dream of a captivating woman torment the captain and leads him to come upon a new civilization. Yes, I want to hear more. I guess I’ll wait until the book is out.

Our new attendee, John Hearon, is also a sci-fi writer, a futurist looking at a dystopian scenario in his book, The Lighting Clock. His opening chapter entitled, Lighting Always Strikes Twice in the Same Place, tells the story of a young female in transport to prison, convicted of murder. Justice does not exist in the future country of “USA Amcourt,” a corporation country. In John’s story, a single phrase evoked comment, “not my clowns, not my circus,” when spoken by the prisoner about a group of children in the company sent to the prison as slave labor elicited a dislike for the protagonist among several members of the group. Will she remain a despicable character? We look forward to the rewrite as John promises to come back at the next meeting.

Back from his Holiday Cruise, Don Westerfield brought us a couple of poems, Night Walker, a new offering, and Walk Away, written a few years ago. In Night Walker, a man of advanced age approaches the water’s edge, thinking he will walk on into oblivion. Will he or won’t he? Read the poem to find out. Walk Away lets us delve into the mind of a man at a reunion. There, he espies one whom he thinks was a former love. Does he approach? Does he “walk away?” Don, we all love your poetry.

Ed Ellis has been working on a non-fiction book for several years. In the meantime, he’s produced many witty, often humorous stories to share with us. Tonight he asks us to read, critique, and return a portion of his nearly ready work. Appendix 102 – Creative Questioning teaches how to form and ask questions capable of moving us forward in our life, business, or even our writing. It is complete with Tables and Figures to guide us along. Congratulations, Ed, it’s going well.

Attending for the second time, Cat Christensen shared a unique use of Haiku with us. An artist produced a series of paintings to which Cat applied her talent. It was a fantastic display. The poetry is in tune with the images. A lump forms in my throat as I read the words describing the scene. Great job, Cat, and kudos to the artist.

Tiny Poems About an Ordinary Life, that’s how Abby Karish entitles her work. Short and directed toward the common occurrences of everyday life, her lively words give insight into those thoughts we all have but tend to ignore. Everybody’s life has its exciting moments, but daily life is priceless.

Have you ever had a moment in your life you can’t explain to others without thinking they will call you crazy? The Phone Call by Bruce Haedrich might qualify for him. Dialing his daughter’s number, Bruce hears the phone ringing on the other end. But, the voice answering is not that of his daughter. It is his older brother. They have a two-minute and eighteen-second call, interrupted by static that disconnects them. With unanswered questions still in his mind, Bruce cannot fathom the substance of the call. You see, his brother has been dead for a year and a half.

Toby and the High Roller by Richard Cope brings a light-hearted bent to the evening. It seems Toby gets mistakenly packed in a U-Haul and transported to Las Vegas from his home in Bean County, Tennessee. All is not lost as Toby befriends a High Roller in Vegas who turns him into a national hero by proclaiming him to be a super good luck charm. Yes, Toby finally returns home, welcomed by a Senator and the whole county.

Have you ever experienced Puppy Love? Well, a lonesome old man in Linda Grischy’s story did. It seems he found a puppy on the street by his house. The puppy rushed inside and ravenously ate the leftovers the man gave him. It was love at first sight, but the puppy ran away only to return the next day. Friends tried to tell the man, “the dog belongs to another,” but the man persisted in claiming the puppy was his. After following the puppy one day and finding out, the little dog visited another old man down the street to get fed as well; his persistence remained. The puppy didn’t show up for a few days. The man asked the other man if he’d seen the puppy. “Yes,” the old man replied, “she comes for her steak every day.” That afternoon, the man cut up his best tenderloin to feed his little friend.

Having read an article in a newspaper asking, How much is Poetry Worth? Or something like that. Ernie Ovitz shared it with us. Our group values the poets who share their work with us. This article agreed, poetry is timeless and a valuable part of our lives.

Rod DiGruttolo shared a bit of a travelog. His experiences of getting underway on a driving vacation during rush hour made for a bit of humor to end the meeting.

Well, that’s about all for this time. If you don’t have time to write, READ! But do your best to KEEP ON WRITING. See you next meeting.