Get Ready!

We welcome our first guest speaker of our fall/winter season, Julie Ann Howell, Publisher and Founder of Peppertree Press - A Sponsor of the Florida Writers Association’s yearly Writing Conference - who will address our group Wednesday, October 1st! Welcome back Julie, who has an interesting announcement for mystery writers
______________________________________________________________________

Readers will have a chance to meet more than 40 authors who have written books for just about every taste at the 22nd annual Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading on Oct. 25, The writers will be discussing and signing their books at this free event on the Bayside campus of the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. http://www.tampabay.com/features/books/times-festival-of-reading-to-feature-hiaasen-macomber-mandvi-stine/2197014

[Thanks to Kerri for the heads up]

Snakes, Spiders and Palmetto Bugs

Our own Rodney DiGruttolo, chief cat herder and master of ceremonies for our FWA writers group meetings, has published his wonderful anthology of Skeets and his buddies growing up in southwest Florida. We have listened to the many great tales over the years and wondered if and when the stories would be available in a single, continuous story. Well, we wait no longer, the book, "Snakes, Spiders and Palmetto Bugs," is available both as a paperback and an e-book from Amazon. Congratulations to Rod on publishing "Snakes, Spiders and Palmetto Bugs"

PICTURE BOOK DUMMY WORKSHOP!

PICTURE BOOK DUMMY WORKSHOP! A picture book is more than just words, more than just pictures. It is a physical object that melds the two. Bring your manuscript or your sketches or your concept outline. Join us for a day of information, imagination, evaluation, and inspiration. Reconnect with your inner child. Find your book’s heart. Shape and pace its content. Build its suspense. Discover the dynamics that can drive it. ! ! Both writers and illustrators will focus on the picture book form using a dummy as the foundation for the creation process. This will be a day of learning, bursts of targeted work, and periods of guided meditation with Linda Shute, author/illustrator www.lindashute.com and Dianne Ochiltree, author and a 200 hour RYT with the yoga alliance www.ochiltreebooks.com.! ! Please join us Saturday, September 27th, 9am - 4 pm.! ! We will meet at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road, just west of Cardinal Mooney High School.! ! $75 SCBWI members. $85 non members. Register at www.scbwi.org - go to the Florida regional chapter page.! ! Please contact Linda Shute, lshute@icloud.com with any questions and for information about supplies.! !

Writing Challenge

Dear Fellow FWA Member,

​

​I am a member of the Orlando FWA group and have spoken at many FWA chapters and mini-conferences throughout the state and at the annual conference several times about the importance of preserving our life stories. To that end, I'm offering a free seven-day writing challenge starting on August 11th where people will receive a writing prompt every day, have a forum to post their responses, and can participate in a tele-training seminar on August 18th at 7:00 p.m., and I'm trying to get the word out. Will you help me and distribute this information to your members?

When I did a similar challenge in the spring, more than 300 people from 40 states and 8 countries accepted the challenge​, wrote  every day​, and shared their work with fellow participants​.​ In this August’s challenge​, I hope to have 500 people from every state in the US and as many countries as possible participate.​ If you feel this will benefit your members and other writers you know, please share these few sentences about the challenge:

​

Join hundreds of writers from all over the world for Writing Your Life's FREE Seven-Day Writing Challenge, beginning on August 11th.​ Each day, receive a writing prompt designed to trigger memories, post your responses on a private, members-only community forum, and participate in a free tele-training seminar on Monday, August 18th at 7:00 p.m. To read more about the Free Seven-Day Writing Challenge or to reserve your spot at our international writing table, follow this link: FreeWritingChallenge.com.
 

Do you know others who might like to accept this challenge? Share this link—freewritingchallenge.com—on Twitter, your Facebook page, email a friend, or print out and distribute this Free Seven-Day Writing Challenge flyer. 

Thank you for any help you can provide!

Patricia Charpentier

Writing Your Life

www.writingyourlife.org

321.279.1791

Multi-Award Winning Author of 

Eating an Elephant: Write Your Life One Bite at a Time

Pat Patterson releases "The Takers"

Congratulations to member Pat Patterson, who regularly makes the long trip to our meetings from Punta Gorda, on the publication of his new book, "The Takers." The historical fiction novel is available from both Create Space and Amazon. Great work, and many thanks to Pat for the kind acknowledgment of the Sarasota Writers Group.

GREAT DANGER: Building Suspense in Fiction - Free Writers Workshop

The free presentation will be at 6 PM, Monday, July 14, at the Mid-County Library, 2050 Forrest Nelson, Port Charlotte. Here's an overview:

GREAT DANGER: Building Suspense in Fiction

Some books just make you say, "I couldn't put it down!" What makes some stories grab you, while others plod drearily to the finish line? Learn the tactics, tricks, and techniques of building and maintaining suspense in a story, from big picture issues down to line-by-line details.
 
Here's a bio:
 
Ken's debut novel, BRIGANDS KEY, a first-place winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award, was published in hardcover in 2012 by Gale Cengage/Five Star Mystery. The Florida Weekly describes the novel as "breathtaking" and "a perfect storm of menace." The prequel, PLACE of FEAR, a first-place winner of the Royal Palm in 2012, was published in ebook in 2013 and paperback in 2014.
 
Ken has written and published numerous short stories and non-fiction articles. Two of his short stories--"The Light Keeper" and "The Wreck of the Edinburgh Kate"--have been selected as finalists for Best Published Short Story in this year's Royal Palms.
 
A member of Florida Writers Association and International Thriller Writers, Ken lives in Maitland, and dabbles in cycling, scuba diving, and fishing, to varying degrees of success. 

I hope you can join me!

For more information, please call 941.613.3192

Ken Pelham

Maitland, FL

Edwin Ellis classes at Edison State College

Edwin Ellis of Englewood Authors and FWA Nokomis will be teaching a course on Memoir writing at Edison State College - Punta Gorda campus this fall.
Course dates

Session 1 - Monday 10/27/14 at 1:00 PM to 2:50 PM
Session 2 - Monday 11/03/14 at 1:00 PM to 2:50 PM
Session 3 - Monday 11/10/14 at 1:00 PM to 2:50 PM
Session 4 - Monday 11/17/14 at 1:00 PM to 2:50 PM

Contact Edison State College Punta Gorda for details and to sign up for the upcoming Memoir course

Ed

April 16th, 2014 Meeting

Elizabeth Sims, award winning mystery writer and Contributing Editor for the Writers Digest, kicked off our April 16^th meeting with a presentation about writing fiction and the research needed to write with authenticity and believability. Her great presentation was followed by a Q and A session that ran right up to our 8:00 pm break time. Elizabeth's presentation included free orange wrist power bands emblazoned with the logo of her book “You've Got A Book in You” for all attendees, and a free copy of the book to the lucky recipient of a random drawing. With 18 attendees, 8 of whom were FWA members, the meeting went quickly, and after a 10 minute break wrapped up with readings by 3 members.

Our next meeting will be May 7^th.

On Our Bookshelves...

Favorite books for Writers of the Sarasota Writers Group:

1. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft – Stephen King
2. The Elements of Style – Strunk and White
3. Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott
4. Writing Down the Bones – Natalie Goldberg
5. Eats, Shoots and Leaves – Lynne Truss
6. The Right to Write – Julia Cameron
7. The Forest for the Trees – Betsy Lerner
8. Wild Mind – Natalie Goldberg
9. Ron Carlson Writes a Story – Ron Carlson
10. On Becoming a Novelist – John Gardner
11. Storycraft – Jack Hart (U. of Chicago, 2011).
12. Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript – Cynthia Laufenberg
13. Zen in the Art of Writing – Ray Bradbury
14. Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer – Roy Peter Clark
15. The Practical Writer's Guide – Mary A. Davries
16. The Mother Tongue – Bill Bryson
17. How to Write – Richard Rhodes
18. Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words – A Writer's Guide to Getting it Right – Bill Bryson
19. Advice to Writers – Compiled by Jon Winokur
20. Handbook of Effective Writing – Robert Moore
21. Write it Right – Josephson – Hidden
22. Techniques of the Selling Writer – Dwight Swain
23. Simon and Schuster Quick Access Reference for Writers – Lynn Quitman Troyka
24. The Writers Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats – Buchman & Groves
25. A Room of One's Own – Virginia Woolf
26. Writing in Style – Bobbie Christmas
    
27. You've Got a Book in You: A Stress-Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams – Elizabeth Sims
    
28. Things That Make Us [Sic] – Martha Brockenbrough

How does our list differ from the Internet?

Take a look at Infolist's current survey of the top 100 books at:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1714.Best_Books_on_Writing

On Our Bookshelves

All writers need readers. Real readers, people who actually read your efforts without the pressures of family or friendship. People who actually might even someday pay to read the ideas and thoughts you, a writer, puts into print. And not just those who condescendingly pat you on the back and say “That is really good stuff, you should send it in someplace.” I've found the best readers are those who actually write themselves and understand both the joy and the pathos of putting their souls out in the world for everyone to see. 

Seriously, without readers, why write? Other than the safely tucked away confessional letters that will never be sent and a few other soul-cleansing, cathartic, autobiographical pieces meant to clean out cobwebs and barriers from the writer's own carefully tucked away abyss of dark memories, most writing is done for pure joy and entertainment. But am I doing it right? How do I write so no one laughs or even worse, ignores my writing? How do the experts do it? 

Personally, I have no clue. I simply know what I like to read. I hate tedious, pompous writing that insults my intelligence, how meager it may be. I have read so many guide books on writing that I have simply become an expert on the guide books themselves. Unfortunately, many of them aren't worth the time to read. Especially the free e-books; as a rule they are badly written nonsense. I've deleted some I didn't bother to finish. I was deep into one book when I came across a misspelled word that should have been caught by any word processor, much less an editor. The word? Grammar. 

What better place to compile a list of good references than a group of people who love to write? The members of the Sarasota Writers Group sent in their respective recommendations of books and guidelines for writers so I could compile a list of material. The list will be presented on Wednesday, April 16th. See if your favorite made the cut. 

George

"Non-Fiction and Other Lies: Writing the Stories in Your Life."

Florida Gulf Coast University will offer the four week series "Non-Fiction and Other Lies: Writing the Stories in Your Life." Robert J. Taylor will be the instructor. Sessions will be held Thursdays from 10 AM to Noon starting April 3, 2014, at Harold Court, Punta Gorda.

NON-FICTION & OTHER

WRITING THE STORIES IN YOUR LIFE

Robert Taylor, Instructor

A fun and highly interactive course on writing memoirs that draws on the skills,
experiences and insights of the participants. In four, two-hour sessions, partici-
pants will discover the stories in their own lives, practice using dialogue and other
techniques to recreate a scene, sort out the wheat of their story from the chaff,
explore ways to drive their story forward, and examine options for publishing their
writings for their family or the wider world.

Week ONE

Finding the stories on your life. Who am I writing for, anyway? Writing in your
voice. Telling the truth with lies.

Week TWO

Recreating a scene: dialogue and other fiction. Using all your senses. Show don’t
tell and avoiding clichés.

 Week THREE

The arc of the story: throwing out the good to save the relevant. Respecting your
reader: no preaching, condescension, no boredom. Manipulating your reader:
playing to base instincts, transitions that draw the reader on. Playing nicey-nicey
or being ostracized by your family.

Week FOUR

The joys and satisfactions of editing. What’s an m-dash? - for crying out loud - and
other obscure rules of editing. Human and unhuman help. Publishing and printing
choices and resources.

Preparation and Materials:

Participants are expected to share their experience and samples of their own
writing, especially prose they’re proud of or are struggling with. Samples may be
in hard copy (with a copy for each class member) or on a thumb drive for pro-
jecting on a screen. Those attending will also be expected to participate in con-
structive critique, writing exercises, and discussion. Handouts will be distributed
and readings and resource's suggested.

HC0691

DATE: April 3, 10, 17, 24

TIME: 10am-12pm

COST: $50

LOCATION: Florida Gulf Coast University @ Herald Court

117 Herald Court, Ste 211, Punta Gorda, FL 33950

#941-505-0130 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

We were fortunate to have a special guest presenter, Jayne Ann McLachlan, an award winning published author specializing in short stories who was visiting from Canada. She took us through a workshop to help us connect with our characters in our works in progress, understanding their motivations and who they are, and why that's even more important in a short story. She also went over other details like the end goal and how to plot out your steps to get there.

If you visit her website, which I've linked in through her name, you'll have an opportunity to see more about the things she's done and connect to her blog. Thank you for sharing with us.

After Jayne Ann's very interactive workshop, Peter Frickel, author of My Frog Sings and Lotha and the Three Crosses shared from his current work in progress, "Lillies of the Vlei" a chapter he called "Soul of Africa." This particular chapter found him walking the length and breadth of Africa in search of his "soul." At the beginning of his journey he tracked landmarks, marked time. After a while he became one with the land, the need to mark passage forgotten. He wondered if he was safe. After all, he was travelling the wilds of Africa by foot. One day he crossed paths with a stranger, and shared the road. Through this journey he discovered the ability to appreciate aloneness, but also felt he'd discovered his connection with God. The group really enjoyed hearing about his voyage through the author's voice.

Educator/writer, Suzi Lynch, shared with us a piece she called "Invite Into the Mind of a Teacher." In this piece she states very clearly that she does not have 'data', more passionate moments that occur in teaching. In her piece she describes an interaction with a student who isn't "model" by grades. It becomes very obvious based on the dialogue that this particular 3rd grader is basically raising his younger siblings and left to his own devices. Although he struggles with ADD, he's not getting his medication regularly. He's already, within the last year, been bounced from house to house, relative to relative. Being an educator in the public school system and the way that they're expected to be so concerned with test scores could lose an opportunity to really help a child like this, and it tears at teachers. The heart and frustration...the power of her words, had everyone in the room empathizing with the teacher and wishing for a way to help save this child.

Jeff Cochran revisited his time travel work in progress. This scene brings us to Rebecca, who was 19 when she'd originally travelled back in time, watching her 5 year old son, Horace. She is now a mother of two children since she and Asa were transported back to 1900. She is holding her baby, Mary, and wondering a bit about how differently her life turned out as she watches Horace splash and play in the water. After a time she gathers the children and heads home to start supper. Jeff has a way of infusing reality of the past and blending it with the more modern thought process of his characters.

Bill Elam followed, revisiting his current work in progress with a chapter called "The Pastor." In this chapter, a public school that had deteriorated had been converted into a church called "The Mission." Although this was built to help those who were truly in need, the sad truth is, that even a ministry is considered "a business" and needs money to run. The pastor was not a 'businessman,' but rather a shepherd of people, so it appeared that despite the great need in this area, the church would be shut down due to inability to pay. That Sunday, preaching a sermon of hope, the pastor's heart was heavy at the thought that this might be the last sermon he'd be able to share. However, in the offering plate, was an envelope from an anonymous donor with a cashiers check that would allow him to pay off in full, the debt for the church, and still have money left over to minister to those in need. Turns out, this was the same place where 'The Old Man' saw that mural discussed earlier in the chapter called "The Artist." Those of us who've been with Bill on this ride were moved.

Sara Lee, a fellow writer from our FWA chapter on the other coast, came by to visit and shared a part of her work in progress, "Boomer Love." She kicked it off with the quote, "An orgasm a day keeps the doctor away." That's all it took to sell us as she shared her chapter which found her protagonist having phone sex with her boyfriend after coitus interruptus happened, thanks to her son. This was her first foray into this area, but with the guidance of her boyfriend, she donned a black lace nighty and went to get "Junior," their nickname for her vibrator. Marty, her boyfriend, of course, carried "Senior" with him in his pants. Yup! The room loved it and laughed at all the right moments. We hope she comes back to share more.

Our final reader of the night was Maris Soule, author of more than 25 books through various presses, was kind enough to share with us an excerpt from her book, The Crows. This mystery had us glued to our seats from the beginning as it kicked off with the protagonist hearing 3 shots, crows cawing a warning...and it wasn't deer hunting season. Furthermore, her dog had not been with her when the shots fired. As she heard noise in the brush, she hid, unsure of the danger. We were all thrilled to know her dog was not injured when he came out of the tall grass towards her. Of course, we went straight back into concern when she finally headed home only to see a trail of blood leading into her house as she raced home to call the police. Yup! Wounded man, laying on the floor, no idea if he's friend or foe. We were definitely hooked! Maris was also kind enough to write about our group in her blog. You can read about that here!

Presentation by Lois W. Stern

Author Tim Dorsey to Speak at SCF Venice

(Bradenton, Fla., February 12, 2014) – State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) Venice language and literature department will host a discussion and book signing by author Tim Dorsey at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, at SCF Venice, 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, building 800, Selby Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Dorsey, author of Florida-based mystery novels, will discuss his writing experience and his works, including his most recent novel, "Tiger Shrimp Tango." He will sign books following the event, and some books will be available for sale.

His novels chronicle the adventures of main character Serge A. Storms, an insane yet lovable serial killer, who tries to make Florida a better place to live.

A former newspaper journalist and editor who grew up in Florida, Dorsey combines his experience covering crime and courts with his knowledge of Florida history to create light-hearted mystery novels. His other novels include "Pineapple Grenade," "Triggerfish Twist," "When Elves Attack," "Hurricane Punch," "Atomic Lobster" and "Nuclear Jellyfish."

For more information, contact Beverly Brown at 941-408-1404 or Rich McKee, SCF language and literature instructor, atmckeer@scf.edu. Maps and directions are online at scf.edu/maps.

January 29th, 2014

“It was a dark and stormy night....” Apologies to Edward Bulwer-Lytton, but for Florida, it was a cold and rainy, if not really stormy, night and I was surprised to see 17 names on the sign-in sheet. I expected the turnout to be quite a bit smaller. Die hard writers, this group.

We greeted new guests Mary and Jim Hanna from San Francisco, and Dennis Quinn, from Massachusetts via Alabama, who is also a seasonal resident, but hopefully, they will be full time members while they are here in our odd little corner of paradise.

First, my sincere apologies to everyone for unintentionally skewing our calendar, and our schedule, by slipping everything back in January due to the scheduled meeting that would have been held on the 1^st! I wouldn't have made it to any writers meeting on New Years Day, and I'm sure there wouldn't have been as much of a turnout on the unofficial National College football day as we had this last meeting. I scheduled a meeting on January 29^th to fill the gap and everything scheduled behind that went in the proverbial dumper. We resume our regular schedule on Wednesday, the 5^th, and will meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month as always.

Rod DiGruttolo handled the duties as MC and allowed me to make several announcements, including a reminder about the upcoming Dearborn Street Book festival in Englewood. While we are past he deadline for writing entries, table space may still be obtained at www.facebook.comDSBookFest.

Due to the short week turnaround, and my being out of town for three days, this blog will be uncharacteristically truncated. We opened with Bill Elam reading “The Physician”, Don Westerfield reading his “The Man Who Never Was – along with the poem “High Flight” – and George Collias, who has a screenplay in the oven, followed by the delightful Kathleen Schwartz and her bi-polar cat. 

Jim Kelly brought more than enough copies of his great poetry, and a story about the fifth graders he so diligently works with. “Lightning looks like a strip of death,” a marvelous comment from one of his young understudies, followed by Cathy Marine and her next chapter of her non-fiction “Wings in the Water.” Suzi Lynch read for only the second time, and once again enthralled the group. “Wonder what I would have thought of myself at that age?” and nuances – twenty-five at a time... Great stuff.

Jenny Oberg continued the reading with “Observations at a Red Light,” followed by George Mindling with an excerpt from a published Waterline article from years ago. We wrapped up the evening with the introduction to Rod DiGruttola's sinister character “Horace.” I have the advantage here of having read ahead, chapter 4 is a real change for Rod, and is outstanding stuff. I can't give anything away here, it'll come out at the next meeting, Wednesday, Feb 5^th.  If I left anything out, my apologies yet once again.

George

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

We had our first official meeting of the new year with many familiar faces returning to rejoin our group, and a few new faces as well! It was great to see so many folks in attendance.

George Mindling kicked off our meeting with the following announcements:

• We received our "Thank You" letter from the Nokomis fire department, along with an invitation to continue meeting there for as long as we'd like.
• George will have a table set up at the Dearborn Street Festival on February 15th in Englewood and is welcoming those who'd be interested to speak to him about joining him.
• Based on the fact that we bypassed our first meeting date of the year (January 1st) to watch football and spend time with our families, we'll be meeting again on January 29th.
• Elizabeth Sims was recently interviewed in Writers Digest where she was kind enough to mention our writers group. She has also agreed to come speak to our group on April 16th, so mark your calendars!

Rod DiGruttolo took over moderator duties as we headed into our first meeting by introducing several of our newer folk, people we hope to see again soon, and moved into our readings.

Laura Heath was our first reader of the evening with a meditation for the new year for writers she titled, "Getting Back to It." In her somewhat tongue-in-cheek piece she encouraged writers to clear their bad habits "unless saving them for lent." Easier said than done, right? Well, saving it for lent sounds like as good an excuse as any...

Next, Ed Ellis shared a piece he called, "Very Short, But True, Story." In his story the protagonist introduced us to life as a sole male in a female dominated household. With four daughters and a wife, the home was "a democracy." The primary catalyst for conflict appeared to be the toilet. After all the training to master the art of putting the lid down, he made the "mistake" of being overzealous in his learning and also lowered the cover. His wife found this out the hard way in the middle of the night in the dark. Though it didn't bode well for him, we found the story to be quite humorous. His defense was that he was trying to "protect" his family and their tooth brushes because he'd heard bacteria from flushing actually travels six feet! Yes, this little factoid was good to know. Toothbrush is now safely kept in the medicine chest.... Thanks, Ed!

 

Local author of Myahmuh: a Novel of Miami, Florida and Sandspurs: Limericks by a Native Floridian, George Collias, shared more from his book, Myahmuh. After learning that Charles, one of the main characters, lived with an alcoholic (an most likely abusive) father, we, along with the boys, the boys discovered, as they were about to leave for their camping trip, that there might be a multiple murderer on the loose. I don't know about you guys, but after all that, camping didn't exactly sound like the safest or smartest idea.

 

Jim Kelly, poet author of  the Place and From the Embers, shared two recent pieces called "Mourning Dove" and "Blue Notes." With his permission, I'll share one of them now. It's easy to see why his poetry is so beloved by the group.

Blue Notes
(written 12/19/13)

Blue notes frolic on the inside of the window,
hinting of soft and easy.

Some say it's a national treasure--
others...a place where heaven comes
to score its music.

In a dingy room, almost too small for itself,
fan blades chase each other
through a blue-gray haze clinging to the ceiling.

That horn...jumps right up front, demanding every ear--
polished notes tumbling from the flare,
rising, falling, melting away,
making room for others.

That mute...dodging in and out
of progressions,
wailing, weeping, coaxing emotions from shells.

That steel brush...prancing across the snare,
measuring its steps,
offering only what is needed.

That sax...with the smoker's voice
pretending to go unnoticed.
And that flute, that ebony flute laced in silver buttons,
stands up and flaunts its credits.

An old man sits at a table for two--half-full, half-empty.
Eyes closed, head cocked in silence,
his lips finger the sounds he knows by heart--
ones that take him where he yearns to be.

Bill Elam returned from the cold north to share more of his tale with us. In "The Gardener" we revisit the ripples that the old man's actions had at the end of his life. We learned that as the old man, knowing his time was nearly done, gave his earthly possessions away, he helped turn dreams into realities. The simple lawn mower he gave away helped to start a new life and career for a man who was floundering....how apropos that it was in landscaping. Those of us who've heard most of this tale truly appreciated the beauty in the circle he created.

Next, Kathleen Schwartz, also back from up north (and hopefully on a more permanent basis), had us rolling with laughter as she shared an excerpt from her current piece with a working title of "Jazzed On Life." In this chapter, the realities of aging, new relationships, and Viagra took a wrong, if not hilarious turn. What began as a serious discussion about the status of their relationship devolved into hysterical laughter as honest communication regarding sex and the pressure to perform were discussed. There was not a dry eye in the house as she read, but then, stomach muscles got a much needed work out, too as we cracked up along with the main characters.

Next, a prose piece called "Moments" was shared by Jenny Oberg. In this piece she discussed how simple moments can become snapshots of memories; the thoughts, the feelings, the love. It was beautiful in its simplicity.

JoAnn Phillips, author of Adventures of a Sea Hag, continued with her newest work in progress, "Matrix of Life." In this chapter, on her mother's birthday, we're introduced to a friend of her mother; a guy named Jerry. Although there was some humor in young Joanne's first attempt to make a birthday cake (she didn't know what shortening was, so she substituted corn starch figuring that something was better than nothing), it was also filled with a lot of scary moments for a child to go through. Finding out about Jerry through an innocent story told by Joann, her father accuses her mother of an affair, and causes a scene in front of Jerry's home and wife. Despite their denials, her father leaves them. Her mother punishes Joanne by destroying her horse collection. The entire scene was cringe-worthy. Joann continues to grow by leaps and bounds in her writing style.

As Kerri Dieffenwierth continues to tweak her memoirs, we get to be the fortunate listeners. This particular portion was called "Race Track." She is working at a stable, training horses. The particular one she was to work with that day was big and strong, but considered "El Caballo Defectiva" or a defective horse. The line that most spoke to me was, "Horses sense fear like solicitors sense you're home." As she works with the horse, he takes off, out of control. All her attempts to stop him were unsuccessful. She found herself thrown hard, hurt, and rushed to the ER. After numerous attempts to realign her collar bone properly to set, she'd had it and walked out. Oddly enough, the thing that came through was that through all the self doubt, the sense of unworthiness, the misery....it was then that she seemed to find her inner strength and her realization that she was better and stronger than she ever thought she was. She finally began to discover herself. It made me want to stand up and cheer.

Next, Ernie Ovitz, shared more from his work in progress, "The Seventh King." In this portion we travel back to 302AD and meet Princess Amatus, a maiden aunt...sister to the queen who'd passed away. Her 15 year old niece came to visit her, bored, and discussing how she wants to get married or to meet a "man." She warns her ward that not only is such talk unseemly, it would be best should her wishes not make their way to her father's ear.

Don Westerfield, another of our resident poets, shared some of his older works. One depicted his love of flying, described what it must feel like to be a pilot. The other was quite appropriate to today's world where we have all sorts of subtitutes from meats to sugar to so much more... That's the one I'll be sharing with you today.

 

IMITATIONS

 

I find it's a counterfeit world we live in,

nothing is what it appears to be.

Oh, it may look like the real thing,

but it's a false reality.

 

I first noticed it in the store one day,

(I hesitate these words to utter),

but they were selling imitation margarine

and I think it was mostly butter.

 

Yet the cheese was made from soybeans

and other labels made it clear,

the lemonade didn't come from lemons

and there was no alcohol in the beer.

 

The sweet stuff wasn't sugar

from what I could deduce,

it was all some chemical mixture,

like the orange juice - it contained no juice.

 

Even my shoes are no longer leather

and I find that quite pathetic.

It's all man-made materials, except the rubber heels

they're genuine...synthetic.

 

Why the wood in my house, I believe,

is nothing but pressed sawdust.

I'm beginning to wonder how long it'll stand;

what is there left to trust?

 

You see that proverbial last straw has hit me.

Right after our matrimonial whirl

my sweetie told me about her operation,

yep,...seems she's only an imitation girl.

 

 

Kitt Crescendo finally published her book, Three For All, over the holidays. She came with business cards and bookmarks to share with the group. We were thrilled for her and wish her much success. As a thank you for all of our support, she shared the excerpt that she'd posted on her blog to announce her new release and continued to read a bit more. If there were windows in our meeting room in that firehouse, the windows would have been fogged. If you missed her excerpt, click on her name. It leads back directly to her blog post announcement.

 

George Mindling shared two things. First was humorous reminders of common writing mistakes and how to avoid them. The second was a short piece he wrote called "Disappointment." In his story he shared how a memory, from a child's perspective, can be perceived so differently when shared with an adult audience. As a smile child he'd been enamored of penguins and had been disappointed to learn that they were small. Of course, sharing this memory to his adult daughter was met by her with laughter...probably mostly because it's hard for us as adults to imagine our parents as children, making childlike suppositions. Needless to say, penguins are now a part of family lore and a way to tease dad.

 

 

Lois Stern, originator of inspiring compilation book series, Tales To Inspire: Topaz & Emerald was back in town and shared her cautionary tale called "Hubris." In this piece, she shares, with self deprecating humor, about an email she'd received to be a guest speaker at a very reputable university in England. At first she came into the "opportunity" feeling as though she'd been patted on the back, but wondering "what's the catch?" As she did her due diligence she discovered that the person who reached out to her was on staff at the university, very easy to work with, quick to answer questions. She became more excited. Just when she thought it was safe to pack her bags, "the catch" presented itself. To expedite her "work permit" she'd need to mail them money to "grease the wheel" in a timely manner. Yep, it turned out to be a long, drawn out scam by some skilled con artists. Thankfully, she caught it before she'd actually "invested" anything of monetary value into this "opportunity." There's definitely a reason why the saying, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is" has lasted.

 

On that final note, our wonderful, eclectic group closed out the night. We look forward to seeing what the next meeting holds in store for us. 



Jeff Parker to speak in Venice

SCF to Host Writer-in-Residence Jeff Parker

(Bradenton, Fla., January 7, 2013) — State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) language and literature department, in partnership with the Hermitage Artist Retreat, welcomes author Jeff Parker as a writer-in-residence for a reading open to the public at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, at SCF Venice, 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, building 800, Selby Room. A question-and-answer session will follow the reading.

Parker, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is author of the novel “Ovenman,” and a story collection, “The Taste of Penny.” His writing has appeared in “American Short Fiction,” “The Best American Nonrequired Reading,” Ploughshares,” “Tin House” and others. He is co-editor of two anthologies, “Rasskazy: New Fiction from a New Russia” and “Amerika: Russian Writers View the United States.”

He is the editor of the DISQUIET imprint of Dzanc Books and co-founder and director of the DISQUIET International Literary Program in Portugal.

Parker has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University.

The event is sponsored by SCF artist-in-residence funding through the SCF Venice provost office and academic affairs. For more information, call Dr. Doug Ford at 941-408-1501 or fordd@scf.edu.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tables were laden with all sorts of goodies and treats... Cookies, cakes, pies, finger foods...even champagne and coffee!

Yep. You guessed it! This Wednesday was our Christmas Holiday Party!

 

This is a special day at Sarasota Writers.... We bring our loved ones and introduce them to the other folks who are helping us chase our dreams and pushing us to grow and be better in our writing.

 

The first part of our meeting was spent chatting, hugging, and sharing our best holiday wishes with one another....and then we got down to business.

 

Don Westerfield kicked us off with a Christmas poem he'd written that called to mind warmth, comfort and love.

 

Kitt Crescendo read a poem on behalf of George Collias, author of Myahmuh: a Novel of Miami, Florida and Sandspurs: Limericks by a Native Floridian. I'm posting it below for the enjoyment of those from the group who weren't able to be there to appreciate his playful wittiness.

 

The Night Before Christmas (with apologies to Clement Moore)

 

'Twas the night before Christmas and at the Nokomis F.D.
All the writers were stirring, except maybe me.

 

I had over-eggnogged it before the meeting,
And at the moment my head was taking a beating.

 

We had all ordered pizza as energy for the night,
And the growling of stomachs had grown to its height.

 

Kitt began speaking, I think about IMAX,

Or it could have been something that sounded like climax?

 

Peter had a new book and he gave a great talk,

I knew if I had to follow him I'd just have to walk.

 

JoAnne read some good stuff about sailing and boats,

I roused myself and began taking illegible notes.

 

When from the parking lot we heard a noise so shrill,

Had the pizza guy's car hit my Honda Fit's grill?

 

Then there crashed through the door a man who, for some reason,

Was dressed all in red - was Dominos observing the season?

 

Over his shoulder this bearded guy had a huge sack,

There was surely enough pizza there to feed our whole pack.

 

George shouted "Food!" and tackled the guy,

Rod ripped his bag open and yelled, "Where is the pie?"

 

We all crowded over him, looking for eats,

Any pizza would do whether vegetarian or meats.

 

We found dolls and trucks, zombies and plastic pheasants,

But there was no food inside, only lots of crummy presents.

 

Then the man in red bellowed, "I'm not the pizza guy with yummies!

Don't you know Santa Claus when you see him, you dummies?"

 

We were astonished and pleaded, "We're sorry!" and more,

But dragging his bag, he stormed through the door.

 

We saw him mount a sleigh and yell, "Go!" to his deer,

Then they all flew away - let me tell you, that was queer.

 

We were sure he'd be back with toy trains and fudge,

For Santa's not known for holding a grudge.

 

But we heard him exclaim as he clutched his torn cap,

"If you think I'll be back next year, you're all full of crap."

 

Megan Brown was back from college and read a peace she'd written for the holiday. Although it was untitled, it was definitely full of the Christmas spirit: Peace, the Christmas Tree and what it symbolizes, celebration, joy and gifts. It really was quite lovely.

 

Ernie Ovitz took us to his newest Work In Progress, a sequel to The Seventh King. In this piece we are introduced to Nicholas, Bishop of Myre. He's been teaching the young children of the Roman empire. He's looking on as they play, enjoying their innocence and joy...and very concerned about what lies ahead. Why was this appropriate for Christmas time? Because that Bishop later becomes Saint Nicholas.... We all thought it was a really cool historical tie to the night.

 

 

Jim Kelly, author of From The Ember and the Place shared some of the poetry from the 5th grade class at Englewood Elementary where he spends some time helping to draw out the out-of-the-box thinkers and poets in the fertile minds of the younger generation. Their work under his guiding hand is truly impressive.

 

 

Beth Rice, author of I'm Adopted, I'm Special and Animal Tales blog, made a triumphant return to our group after a several week hiatus. She announced that one of her pieces had been published in the Florida Writers Association's official publication, The Florida Writer! If you have a subscription, you'll find her poem (untitled) on page 33.

 

 

Author of Adventures of a Sea Hag, JoAnne Phillips, shared a poem she wrote entitled "My Perfect Man." This poem talked about the fact that the perfect man isn't always perfect in appearances, but in the way he treats her, the respect he shows her...and all the other intangibles that matter so much in a long termed relationship. It was quite romantic in the way that true unconditional love can be.

 

Kerri Dieffenwierth made the fantastic announcement that she'll be teaching at State College of Florida where she'll have the opportunity to create her own curriculum to inspire and teach in composition. We know she's going to be a rock star. (Some of us maybe even mentioned coming to sit in on her classes...)

After much discussion about our next meeting, we decided to forego our first meeting in January as everyone would rather be celebrating New Years Day watching football or enjoying family. We will reconvene on Wednesday, January 15, 2014.

 

Happy New Year, Everyone!



Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Our first meeting of December found us without JoAnne Phillips as she'd been in an accident earlier. Her feisty personality was missed. Thankfully, we've heard that she's okay and has been seen out and about enjoying the holiday festivities.

Rod DiGruttolo facilitated our meeting and did a great job, as usual.

Our first reader for the evening was Ed Ellis. He shared a piece for critique called "The Power of Abstraction." This piece is one written for his training manuals. In it he helps to define abstraction as it relates to perception and reality.

Next, Jenny Oberg read a piece she called "Letting Go" from her Big Book. In her piece she talks about how finding a way to let go of the past and other things that hold you down open you to freedom. It was beautifully written and spoke to the joys of a well lived life.

Ernie Ovitz decided to change things up a bit, and instead of sharing from his work-in-progress, he read something he'd created for work. In it, he writes a "buyer beware" type alert for flood insurance and the rate increases due to the ambiguity in the way the policies are written...and that a fast fix is unlikely.

Author of  Sandspurs: Limericks by a Native Floridian and Myahmuh: A novel of Miami, Florida, George Collias, shared an excerpt from the second book about the killer and his bouts with sore muscles and headaches due to the exertions his killings have been putting on his not-so-in-shape body. He followed it by sharing a piece called Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman written by Jack Hemingway, a personal friend and son of Ernest Hemingway. In the portion he shared, Jack finds a creative way to smuggle his fly fishing rod with him as he parachutes from a plane into German occupied territory during war time.

Next, one of our resident poets and author of The Place: a collection of poems, Jim Kelly, shared a couple of his newest writings. Below is one of the pieces he wrote on 11/5/13.

Ocean

Sunrise and sunset
pamper the sky
on the edge
where the sea meditates.

Waves tumble ashore:
searching for shadows
they can not own,

wrestling castles from moorings,
erasing memories
little feet scatter in the sand.

Tides rise and fall
through the stillness of night
sifting windows of broken shells.

Full of itself,
the moon reappears
to dance on a glass-like floor;

the ocean unravels in whispers,
like the hem
on a ballroom gown.

Jung Sok Yo asked Kitt Crescendo to read the next portion of his work-in-progress where Father Sebastian and Helga are reunited on her father's passing. This particular part uncovers illicit feelings between Helga and the priest as he tries to come to terms with his feelings and do the right thing based on his vows to the church. The writing has improved significantly since the beginning. The biggest suggestions given were about chapter length (too long right now) and overuse of certain words.

George Mindling, author of US Air Force Tactical Missiles, shared some interesting discoveries he'd made surrounding some of the strange idiosyncrasies regarding the English language in relation to BBC. He also shared with us a list of collective nouns he'd found in a recent post called Fun With Words: Collective Nouns. He also shared a site where you can find editors marks and what they mean.

Kitt Crescendo shared a poem she'd written called Redemption where she put a bit of a twist on the child's prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep". Overall it was well received, but she was asked to speak more slowly next time.

Finally, Rod DiGruttolo closed us out by sharing a portion of his manuscript called "Disciple of Darkness" in which the father of his protagonist is introduced. The man is definitely not a nice person and has ties to the criminal underworld. In this particular chapter, World War I was just beginning and Mr. Wilkes has drawn the attention of the local law. Although nothing is ever proven, it becomes obvious that no charges will ever be filed against Mr. Wilkes because every witness to his misdeeds has a strange way of turning up dead.

Overall, the meeting was enjoyable and there were new faces who joined our group. We look forward to our Christmas party tomorrow.