MY APOLOGIES
Charity, Darlene and Annette joined me last night for us to read our work and discuss writing and life in general. Luke said he was busy packing for a forthcoming move and we all know how daunting that can be. Chris would like to make the meetings, but his parenting schedule comes first. We know what that’s like, too. All you can do is just keep writing in the meantime.
My apologies go out to Charity. In the previous Review, I omitted mention of Charity’s reading at the last Meeting, posted the Review and sent out the link to everyone. Charity read it right away and noticed the omission. Later that day, I awoke from a nap suddenly, realizing the mistake I had made and promptly corrected it, including mention of Charity in the Review. But I didn’t send out an announcement about it, hoping no one had read it yet. I was too late. So I apologize sincerely. My only excuse was that I was tired that day, or you can blame it on advancing years. I am sorry.
Last night Charity read first from Trixie Trouble. It was a detailed chapter about Trixie being tied up in the cellar of the saloon. Mundy and Carmen want to know where the rest of the stolen gold is hidden, thinking she knows where it is. They recognize her Pa’s gun. She refuses to tell them anything and they start beating her. The saloon owner arrives and stops the beating. The saloon owner turns out to be Trixie’s Ma. Great way to end the chapter, which had been full of gruesome happenings.
Darlene read the next section of her story “Watering Restrictions”. Ethel is against newly passed watering restrictions because she has a very “artistic” garden. Neighbours think she uses too much water. Her husband Ralph loves his wife but wants to get along with everyone. Ethel starts watering before and after allowed watering times. When a By-law Officer starts watching her sprinkling one day, she offers him a coffee. This story gives us a picture of the challenges home owners in suburbia face during a hot, dry summer.
Annette said she had started writing stories based on her life. She also said it was because I told her she should do so. The title (just this one story or the collection?) is “Bringing Up Grandma”. Annette’s Grandmother died in 2001, and Annette had to read a eulogy at her funeral. We learn Grandma had moved to B.C. from Saskatchewan and lived in the Aldergrove area. She outlived her husband. She loved going to church, and prayer was her answer to most problems. And we also learn she had mothered Annette for the first two years of her life. This is a good depiction of a definite character and we hope to hear more, especially since Annette told us she had left things out!
I read a new short story I wrote last week called “Caller Unknown”. This story is straight fiction. I had used a writing prompt that said ‘tell of ending up with the wrong cell phone’. The story tells of a young woman retrieving a cell phone her friend left behind at a Karaoke bar, and ending up being stopped by police who are tracking the friend through the phone. Charity said she wanted to know more about the point of view character and Darlene wanted to know what had made the two women friends. So that made me realize the story needs more work. I think I want to emphasize how two people from similar backgrounds can make different choices in life and end up going down totally different paths. I usually want to make a point of some kind when I write a short story, whether it’s a true story or not.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 21st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. And if you’re suffering a writer’s block, be sure to go out and kiss the Blarney Stone on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Saturday, February 24, 2018
THE REVIEW
LET IT SNOW!
In spite of the snow, and threat of snow, there were five of us here Wednesday night invoking The Muse. Charity, Luke, Annette and new member Darlene Schmidt joined me for an inspirational meeting.
I read first, a new short story of 750 words I had written last Monday. It is based on a true story, but greatly condensed and fictionalized. I plan to send it to the contest at Polar Expressions this year. The story is about an elderly writer who, along with her husband, is moved away by their son so he can look after them. But they are both seriously ill and life becomes complicated and devastating before they both die. The story is told by a third party (another writer) who goes back and reads related emails. The ending is very sad. Charity said she liked learning about the challenges that confront some elderly people. Darlene said the ending made her gasp. And Luke said the elderly lady reminded him of his grandmother.
Charity read from Trixie Trouble and we see Trixie being mistaken for a boy as she is fed by the tart at the hotel. Trixie is challenged by a man called Mundy and she shows she can shoot the gun she carries. As she waits for the doc to arrive, she drinks her coffee and feels faint and passes out. The poor girl is beset by one disaster after another. Will she survive?
Luke read the next scene with Goren and Galeena arriving back at his earthquake demolished home. He tries making plans about food and where they should go, but she is hovering and asking questions and he gets annoyed and tells her to take his cloak to wear. She sets about tearing it up and fashioning a useful outfit out of the cloak, and then makes herself shoes to wear. She knows how to do this, but doesn’t remember how she knows. They need to travel back to the river to get his boots.
Annette read the next 200 words at the beginning of Chapter 11. Maxine learns that after tests and a CT scan, Jarod has no serious brain problems, and can still answer questions by blinking his eyes. But he still doesn’t know his name, or where he lives, or who Maxine is. And nobody knows why. Annette asked us to suggest ways she could prevent this character from communicating who he really is. I had already suggested that as well as his jaw being wired shut, he should have a broken arm so he can’t write. And we thought maybe he could develop an adverse reaction of some kind to the medication he is getting. We could really make the poor guy suffer.
Darlene read to us the first section of a 10,000 word short story she has written entitled “Watering Restrictions”. A husband and wife are at the dining table discussing watering restrictions and local politics, but their opinions are diametrically opposed. He sounds pragmatic and practical while she sounds reflective and romantic. They made me laugh. We look forward to hearing more of this disparate couple.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 7th, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Looking out the window at all the snow, I am hoping we will have a complete wintermelt before then. And may The Muse be sure to answer your call!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
In spite of the snow, and threat of snow, there were five of us here Wednesday night invoking The Muse. Charity, Luke, Annette and new member Darlene Schmidt joined me for an inspirational meeting.
I read first, a new short story of 750 words I had written last Monday. It is based on a true story, but greatly condensed and fictionalized. I plan to send it to the contest at Polar Expressions this year. The story is about an elderly writer who, along with her husband, is moved away by their son so he can look after them. But they are both seriously ill and life becomes complicated and devastating before they both die. The story is told by a third party (another writer) who goes back and reads related emails. The ending is very sad. Charity said she liked learning about the challenges that confront some elderly people. Darlene said the ending made her gasp. And Luke said the elderly lady reminded him of his grandmother.
Charity read from Trixie Trouble and we see Trixie being mistaken for a boy as she is fed by the tart at the hotel. Trixie is challenged by a man called Mundy and she shows she can shoot the gun she carries. As she waits for the doc to arrive, she drinks her coffee and feels faint and passes out. The poor girl is beset by one disaster after another. Will she survive?
Luke read the next scene with Goren and Galeena arriving back at his earthquake demolished home. He tries making plans about food and where they should go, but she is hovering and asking questions and he gets annoyed and tells her to take his cloak to wear. She sets about tearing it up and fashioning a useful outfit out of the cloak, and then makes herself shoes to wear. She knows how to do this, but doesn’t remember how she knows. They need to travel back to the river to get his boots.
Annette read the next 200 words at the beginning of Chapter 11. Maxine learns that after tests and a CT scan, Jarod has no serious brain problems, and can still answer questions by blinking his eyes. But he still doesn’t know his name, or where he lives, or who Maxine is. And nobody knows why. Annette asked us to suggest ways she could prevent this character from communicating who he really is. I had already suggested that as well as his jaw being wired shut, he should have a broken arm so he can’t write. And we thought maybe he could develop an adverse reaction of some kind to the medication he is getting. We could really make the poor guy suffer.
Darlene read to us the first section of a 10,000 word short story she has written entitled “Watering Restrictions”. A husband and wife are at the dining table discussing watering restrictions and local politics, but their opinions are diametrically opposed. He sounds pragmatic and practical while she sounds reflective and romantic. They made me laugh. We look forward to hearing more of this disparate couple.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 7th, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Looking out the window at all the snow, I am hoping we will have a complete wintermelt before then. And may The Muse be sure to answer your call!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, January 18, 2018
THE REVIEW
A TEENAGE GHOST, A TEXAS TART AND MEMORY LOSS
Fabulous Meeting of The Rams last night. Charity, Luke, Annette, Chris, and Jim Williams joined me and contributed to a writer’s feast of storytelling.
Jim read first from his now published Young Adult novel, “Haunting Of The Wired Monk – The Coventry Ghosts Book 1”. In the prologue we see teenaged Leanne killed in front of a coffee shop where she wants to stay to thank the two ladies who tried to save her. Then in Chapter 16, we see the kitten Sara die and decide to stay with Leanne. The two ghosts become the haunts at the Wired Monk coffee shop, in ghastly, ghostly cahoots everafter.
We learned from Jim that this book has been published as an eBook at www.divinedestinies.com and is available at all eBook retailers. It is also available as print-on-demand at Amazon. Jim also has a romance being published by another imprint of the same company. It is “Quadratic Equations” published at www.extasybooks.com with an estimated publishing date of January 26, 2018.
We wish Jim continued success with his writing career and thank him for his time sharing his experience with us.
Luke read more from his novel, and we see Goren and Galeena (who doesn’t remember her real name) leaving the river and trekking to his home. Along the way, Goren realizes she is not from the same tribe as him, and he keeps trying to determine what tribe she belongs to. Sometimes she’s childlike, and sometimes like a stealthy hunter. This chapter is being used to help build the world that Goren inhabits.
Annette read Chapter 10 that shows Maxine back in Jarod’s hospital room now that he has regained consciousness, but he ignores her. His jaw is wired shut, so he is asked by the nurse to use eye blinks to answer yes or no questions. He answers no when asked if his name is Jarod Foster, yes when asked if he remembers the motorcycle accident, and no when asked if he remembers Maxine. Maxine fumes at being so easily forgotten. Maxine is dealing with a lot of emotion in this chapter.
Charity read the next chapter in “Trixie Trouble”. Trixie enters the town of Shaughnessy at night and then collapses in an alley. A tart tries to go through her pockets and belongings, but Trixie awakes and challenges her. She asks the woman to get her a room, a bath and a doctor in exchange for a gold coin.
Chris read Chapter 2 from “It’s Hot And It Burns”. His male character with memory loss goes through the brown paper bag as the SUV that dropped it off disappears into the desert. Inside the bag he finds enough rations for another day, and a pencil and notebook with “Konfessions” written on the first page. Also in the bag is a roll of toilet paper, which seems ludicrous as he fights against the sudden, overwhelming need to defecate, trying not to spoil his only clothes. His war within seems excruciating and hilarious. We could all see him standing stiff-legged, all alone in the middle of the desert.
I did not read anything last night. My thanks go out to Wendy Francis, another Ram who is unable to attend our Meetings, who graciously did an extensive edit of “Honey Signed The Waiver” for me. She caught all sorts of things that needed correction, such as repeated use of distinct words in the same story, an inconsistent number of cats attributed to my household from story to story, and changes needed from present tense to past tense. I think she spent a lot of hours doing this for me and I am extremely grateful. It’s amazing what another set of eyes can see.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and may The Muse haunt you like a wanton woman so you won’t forget how much you love to write her words.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Fabulous Meeting of The Rams last night. Charity, Luke, Annette, Chris, and Jim Williams joined me and contributed to a writer’s feast of storytelling.
Jim read first from his now published Young Adult novel, “Haunting Of The Wired Monk – The Coventry Ghosts Book 1”. In the prologue we see teenaged Leanne killed in front of a coffee shop where she wants to stay to thank the two ladies who tried to save her. Then in Chapter 16, we see the kitten Sara die and decide to stay with Leanne. The two ghosts become the haunts at the Wired Monk coffee shop, in ghastly, ghostly cahoots everafter.
We learned from Jim that this book has been published as an eBook at www.divinedestinies.com and is available at all eBook retailers. It is also available as print-on-demand at Amazon. Jim also has a romance being published by another imprint of the same company. It is “Quadratic Equations” published at www.extasybooks.com with an estimated publishing date of January 26, 2018.
We wish Jim continued success with his writing career and thank him for his time sharing his experience with us.
Luke read more from his novel, and we see Goren and Galeena (who doesn’t remember her real name) leaving the river and trekking to his home. Along the way, Goren realizes she is not from the same tribe as him, and he keeps trying to determine what tribe she belongs to. Sometimes she’s childlike, and sometimes like a stealthy hunter. This chapter is being used to help build the world that Goren inhabits.
Annette read Chapter 10 that shows Maxine back in Jarod’s hospital room now that he has regained consciousness, but he ignores her. His jaw is wired shut, so he is asked by the nurse to use eye blinks to answer yes or no questions. He answers no when asked if his name is Jarod Foster, yes when asked if he remembers the motorcycle accident, and no when asked if he remembers Maxine. Maxine fumes at being so easily forgotten. Maxine is dealing with a lot of emotion in this chapter.
Charity read the next chapter in “Trixie Trouble”. Trixie enters the town of Shaughnessy at night and then collapses in an alley. A tart tries to go through her pockets and belongings, but Trixie awakes and challenges her. She asks the woman to get her a room, a bath and a doctor in exchange for a gold coin.
Chris read Chapter 2 from “It’s Hot And It Burns”. His male character with memory loss goes through the brown paper bag as the SUV that dropped it off disappears into the desert. Inside the bag he finds enough rations for another day, and a pencil and notebook with “Konfessions” written on the first page. Also in the bag is a roll of toilet paper, which seems ludicrous as he fights against the sudden, overwhelming need to defecate, trying not to spoil his only clothes. His war within seems excruciating and hilarious. We could all see him standing stiff-legged, all alone in the middle of the desert.
I did not read anything last night. My thanks go out to Wendy Francis, another Ram who is unable to attend our Meetings, who graciously did an extensive edit of “Honey Signed The Waiver” for me. She caught all sorts of things that needed correction, such as repeated use of distinct words in the same story, an inconsistent number of cats attributed to my household from story to story, and changes needed from present tense to past tense. I think she spent a lot of hours doing this for me and I am extremely grateful. It’s amazing what another set of eyes can see.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and may The Muse haunt you like a wanton woman so you won’t forget how much you love to write her words.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, January 4, 2018
THE REVIEW
OFF TO A NEW START
For the first Meeting of 2018, Kay, Roger, Annette and new member Chris Wnuk joined me last night. We started with my handing out some printed reminders. One was the definition of story structure contained in one paragraph which succinctly condenses the mythical story structure for easy reference. The other two handouts were about critiquing and all the elements of story to consider both as a reader and as a writer. It’s sometimes helpful to remind ourselves of what we should pay attention to in our writing.
I also read a short, short story of mine which is about an actual phone call I received from a woman asking about the writers’ group. She was a teacher of creative writing and was disgusted we were mostly a support group and then she hung up on me. I had written the story many years ago, but some points in it are worth looking at again. And I do say that everything that happens can be fodder for a writer. The bumper sticker on my filing cabinet says “WRITERS HAVE THE LAST WORD”.
We also looked at writing goals for the coming year. Kay said she wants to be done production of her screenplay by summer and hopefully see it marketed, and she also wants to finish her second script. Chris is aiming to find an agent for his novels. Annette wants to finish her current novel and work to getting it published. I want to find a publisher for “Honey Signed The Waiver”. And Roger said he wants to find a publisher for his novel and get a sizeable advance for it. We will look back at our goals next January to see what we’ve accomplished.
Kay talked to us about the use of culture and cross-culture in her script for “Porcelain”. She wants to portray how diverse the cultural backdrop of Vancouver is without her story being too “busy”. We had an interesting discussion on how culture is portrayed in different movies and TV shows.
Roger read from Chapter 1 of his literary novel (as yet unnamed), which he said has been a 3 year project so far. He asked for feedback on the development of the two characters in this chapter, and their interaction with each other. We commented on the sexual innuendos in their meeting, and the male character seeming egotistical while the woman seemed to take charge. I thought the male might be bi-polar. Kay and Chris both asked for more visual description of the male character. I asked for a time frame for the story. Roger said the chapter title included the year, so that provided the time of the story for any reader. The personalities of both characters were very evident in this chapter.
Chris read the first chapter of his comedy/thriller novel “It’s Hot And It Burns”. We see the main character waking up alone on a flat desert with only a tarp shelter, military cot, and one bottle of water. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. This story is first person, present tense and the tension is palpable right from the start. This chapter grabs the reader right from the start and then also ends with a hook.
Annette didn’t have anything to read. She was tired after a stressful week over her husband’s ill health.
Charity said she was unable to attend last night as she had a cold. Carolynn said it was her husband’s birthday but hopes to attend later this month.
At our next Meeting, Wednesday, January 17th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place, former Rams member Jim Williams will be attending and reading from his newly published YA book “Haunting Of The Wired Monk – The Coventry Ghosts Book I”. Jim also said he’s willing to discuss the steps in the publication process that he went through with our group as well.
Hope to see everyone on the 17th. Take care and stay healthy and may all your goals be met this year!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
For the first Meeting of 2018, Kay, Roger, Annette and new member Chris Wnuk joined me last night. We started with my handing out some printed reminders. One was the definition of story structure contained in one paragraph which succinctly condenses the mythical story structure for easy reference. The other two handouts were about critiquing and all the elements of story to consider both as a reader and as a writer. It’s sometimes helpful to remind ourselves of what we should pay attention to in our writing.
I also read a short, short story of mine which is about an actual phone call I received from a woman asking about the writers’ group. She was a teacher of creative writing and was disgusted we were mostly a support group and then she hung up on me. I had written the story many years ago, but some points in it are worth looking at again. And I do say that everything that happens can be fodder for a writer. The bumper sticker on my filing cabinet says “WRITERS HAVE THE LAST WORD”.
We also looked at writing goals for the coming year. Kay said she wants to be done production of her screenplay by summer and hopefully see it marketed, and she also wants to finish her second script. Chris is aiming to find an agent for his novels. Annette wants to finish her current novel and work to getting it published. I want to find a publisher for “Honey Signed The Waiver”. And Roger said he wants to find a publisher for his novel and get a sizeable advance for it. We will look back at our goals next January to see what we’ve accomplished.
Kay talked to us about the use of culture and cross-culture in her script for “Porcelain”. She wants to portray how diverse the cultural backdrop of Vancouver is without her story being too “busy”. We had an interesting discussion on how culture is portrayed in different movies and TV shows.
Roger read from Chapter 1 of his literary novel (as yet unnamed), which he said has been a 3 year project so far. He asked for feedback on the development of the two characters in this chapter, and their interaction with each other. We commented on the sexual innuendos in their meeting, and the male character seeming egotistical while the woman seemed to take charge. I thought the male might be bi-polar. Kay and Chris both asked for more visual description of the male character. I asked for a time frame for the story. Roger said the chapter title included the year, so that provided the time of the story for any reader. The personalities of both characters were very evident in this chapter.
Chris read the first chapter of his comedy/thriller novel “It’s Hot And It Burns”. We see the main character waking up alone on a flat desert with only a tarp shelter, military cot, and one bottle of water. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. This story is first person, present tense and the tension is palpable right from the start. This chapter grabs the reader right from the start and then also ends with a hook.
Annette didn’t have anything to read. She was tired after a stressful week over her husband’s ill health.
Charity said she was unable to attend last night as she had a cold. Carolynn said it was her husband’s birthday but hopes to attend later this month.
At our next Meeting, Wednesday, January 17th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place, former Rams member Jim Williams will be attending and reading from his newly published YA book “Haunting Of The Wired Monk – The Coventry Ghosts Book I”. Jim also said he’s willing to discuss the steps in the publication process that he went through with our group as well.
Hope to see everyone on the 17th. Take care and stay healthy and may all your goals be met this year!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Sunday, December 10, 2017
THE REVIEW
YEAR END
Charity, Luke, Kay, Annette and guest Roger Eberle joined me here Wednesday for the last Meeting of this year. I even managed to make sure my Christmas decorations were up.
I started the Meeting by going over some news items. I proudly passed around the latest Polar Expressions anthology I received with my story “Parade Of Sorrow” inside it. Then I asked the group if they would like to have past member Jim Williams come and read to us from his newly published book in his Coventry Ghost series. The group was agreeable and Charity has even offered to read his book and write a review for it if he desires one. I also asked if the group wanted to have us visited by an authors’ services representative who specializes in editing and things like ebook conversions. To that offer the group was negative as no one felt the need to purchase such services.
Charity read the next scene from “Trixie Trouble” which shows her waking up in a muddy creek in excruciating pain from her leg injury. She encounters an old scrounger who offers her a shot of whiskey to keep her going and he tells her she needs to re-think her choices in life as she isn’t doing very well. Thankful for the whiskey, she gives him a gold coin and tells him to buy himself some shoes. She longs to belong somewhere when she gets her first sight of town.
Luke read more from “Heart Of The Earth”. Goren offers to let the girl he has saved but who lost her temper and broke his nose, accompany him to town. She has no shoes and very little clothing. When she asks, he tells her Galeena was his cousin and he regrets he was unable to save her. The girl admits she remembers nothing, not even her name, and then asks if she can use the name Galeena.
Kay said she is working on her script with a partner and will soon want a second writer to go over it. She says she is also working on planning pre-production so that everything will be in place when shooting starts, as that’s when the minutes are money and everything has to happen in a tight schedule.
Annette read her next chapter “Searching For Claire”. Maxine is looking for Claire and spots her praying with a group of people and learns they were praying for Jarod. They were also praying for a man in their church who has gone missing. Maxine asks Claire how she can possibly be there for Jarod when she no longer even cares for him. And then she opens up and confides everything to Claire about her broken relationship with Jarod.
I read a new “Honey” story I’ve called “Keep Writing”. It’s about Honey breaking through my writers’ block when he lost $60.00 in rolled coins before he even left for the bank to trade them for bills. I don’t know if I will write enough new stories for a second book, but I did have to write this story down. Wendy Francis is currently proof reading “Honey Signed The Waiver” for me, and I’m very thankful she’s doing this.
Roger read to us a non-fiction article “If In The Living Years We Find An Eternal Flame Would It Be Like A Prayer?” It was a discourse on music and lyrics wondering if the two combined result in some sort of spiritual experience. It also brought up the sad recognition that we don’t often talk to loved ones when they are still here with us.
Lorelei had planned to attend, but then decided to stay home with her germs, she said. Hope she’s feeling better.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 3rd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2018!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Charity, Luke, Kay, Annette and guest Roger Eberle joined me here Wednesday for the last Meeting of this year. I even managed to make sure my Christmas decorations were up.
I started the Meeting by going over some news items. I proudly passed around the latest Polar Expressions anthology I received with my story “Parade Of Sorrow” inside it. Then I asked the group if they would like to have past member Jim Williams come and read to us from his newly published book in his Coventry Ghost series. The group was agreeable and Charity has even offered to read his book and write a review for it if he desires one. I also asked if the group wanted to have us visited by an authors’ services representative who specializes in editing and things like ebook conversions. To that offer the group was negative as no one felt the need to purchase such services.
Charity read the next scene from “Trixie Trouble” which shows her waking up in a muddy creek in excruciating pain from her leg injury. She encounters an old scrounger who offers her a shot of whiskey to keep her going and he tells her she needs to re-think her choices in life as she isn’t doing very well. Thankful for the whiskey, she gives him a gold coin and tells him to buy himself some shoes. She longs to belong somewhere when she gets her first sight of town.
Luke read more from “Heart Of The Earth”. Goren offers to let the girl he has saved but who lost her temper and broke his nose, accompany him to town. She has no shoes and very little clothing. When she asks, he tells her Galeena was his cousin and he regrets he was unable to save her. The girl admits she remembers nothing, not even her name, and then asks if she can use the name Galeena.
Kay said she is working on her script with a partner and will soon want a second writer to go over it. She says she is also working on planning pre-production so that everything will be in place when shooting starts, as that’s when the minutes are money and everything has to happen in a tight schedule.
Annette read her next chapter “Searching For Claire”. Maxine is looking for Claire and spots her praying with a group of people and learns they were praying for Jarod. They were also praying for a man in their church who has gone missing. Maxine asks Claire how she can possibly be there for Jarod when she no longer even cares for him. And then she opens up and confides everything to Claire about her broken relationship with Jarod.
I read a new “Honey” story I’ve called “Keep Writing”. It’s about Honey breaking through my writers’ block when he lost $60.00 in rolled coins before he even left for the bank to trade them for bills. I don’t know if I will write enough new stories for a second book, but I did have to write this story down. Wendy Francis is currently proof reading “Honey Signed The Waiver” for me, and I’m very thankful she’s doing this.
Roger read to us a non-fiction article “If In The Living Years We Find An Eternal Flame Would It Be Like A Prayer?” It was a discourse on music and lyrics wondering if the two combined result in some sort of spiritual experience. It also brought up the sad recognition that we don’t often talk to loved ones when they are still here with us.
Lorelei had planned to attend, but then decided to stay home with her germs, she said. Hope she’s feeling better.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 3rd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2018!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, November 17, 2017
THE REVIEW
WORK IN PROGRESS
The last meeting of the Rams saw six dedicated writers come together to share what they are working on. Luke, Annette, Charity, Margaret F. and Carolynn all joined me Wednesday to prove we are all still writing!
Margaret wrote an article on “Babes In The Wood” that she wants to submit for newspaper publication in January, which is the anniversary of when the bodies were found in Stanley Park. She called the article “A Closer Look At The File”, and it starts with the haunting questions of why the children were never identified and why the case was never solved. We had some discussion on word length for newspaper articles and ways to edit. We all hope the article will see print as those murdered children deserve to be remembered.
Luke read the next scene from his “Heart Of The Earth” where Goren has pulled the girl out of the water. When she comes to, she has no memory of who she is or what happened to her. Their interaction is rancorous and he goes to leave, but then she forlornly asks him to show her the way to the nearest town. Goren’s protective spirit is being tested.
Charity read from “Trixie Trouble” where she is standing before Marley with his gun pointed at her. He wants her tried for his son’s murder, and the Preacher wants her trial to be a precedent for law and order. He reveals a badge he wears as a Texas Ranger. Marley shoots at her, but she escapes by jumping down from the crumbling ridge. The poor heroine is disaster incorporated and no one is helping her.
Annette said she wouldn’t be reading. Her life has been busy with personal matters. Maybe she is collecting more fodder for her novel about Maxine?
Carolynn said she had writers’ block. She had started on a Young Adult fantasy novel that included the power of magic contained in books as a commodity that people want to control. She wasn’t sure yet exactly where the plot was going. Charity suggested using an outline. And I suggested using a “snake in a drawer”, something totally unexpected to move the action along. We are all looking forward to hearing what happens.
I had finished with my most recent edit of “Honey Signed The Waiver” and said that Wendy Francis, another Ram unable to attend Meetings anymore, had agreed to proof read the manuscript for me. Many thanks to Wendy. I also read the cover letter I am working on for when I submit to a publisher. My cover letter included a comprehensive writer’s bio and credits. Charity said I should mention also that the stories are heartwarming and I will do that.
The next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. This will be our last Meeting before Christmas so may The Muse inspire you now!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
The last meeting of the Rams saw six dedicated writers come together to share what they are working on. Luke, Annette, Charity, Margaret F. and Carolynn all joined me Wednesday to prove we are all still writing!
Margaret wrote an article on “Babes In The Wood” that she wants to submit for newspaper publication in January, which is the anniversary of when the bodies were found in Stanley Park. She called the article “A Closer Look At The File”, and it starts with the haunting questions of why the children were never identified and why the case was never solved. We had some discussion on word length for newspaper articles and ways to edit. We all hope the article will see print as those murdered children deserve to be remembered.
Luke read the next scene from his “Heart Of The Earth” where Goren has pulled the girl out of the water. When she comes to, she has no memory of who she is or what happened to her. Their interaction is rancorous and he goes to leave, but then she forlornly asks him to show her the way to the nearest town. Goren’s protective spirit is being tested.
Charity read from “Trixie Trouble” where she is standing before Marley with his gun pointed at her. He wants her tried for his son’s murder, and the Preacher wants her trial to be a precedent for law and order. He reveals a badge he wears as a Texas Ranger. Marley shoots at her, but she escapes by jumping down from the crumbling ridge. The poor heroine is disaster incorporated and no one is helping her.
Annette said she wouldn’t be reading. Her life has been busy with personal matters. Maybe she is collecting more fodder for her novel about Maxine?
Carolynn said she had writers’ block. She had started on a Young Adult fantasy novel that included the power of magic contained in books as a commodity that people want to control. She wasn’t sure yet exactly where the plot was going. Charity suggested using an outline. And I suggested using a “snake in a drawer”, something totally unexpected to move the action along. We are all looking forward to hearing what happens.
I had finished with my most recent edit of “Honey Signed The Waiver” and said that Wendy Francis, another Ram unable to attend Meetings anymore, had agreed to proof read the manuscript for me. Many thanks to Wendy. I also read the cover letter I am working on for when I submit to a publisher. My cover letter included a comprehensive writer’s bio and credits. Charity said I should mention also that the stories are heartwarming and I will do that.
The next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. This will be our last Meeting before Christmas so may The Muse inspire you now!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, November 2, 2017
THE REVIEW
TRICK OR TREATERS
Luke, Charity and Annette joined me here last night and since I’d only had four Halloween trick or treaters the night before, there was lots of leftover candy out on the table to feed The Muse.
To start, I asked Luke and Charity how they made out at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Luke said in a casual discussion before supper on the Friday night, he was invited by Donald Maas to submit his manuscript for “The Heart Of The Earth”. That happened unexpectedly and Luke was so pleased.
Charity went to the Conference as a volunteer and did a lot of networking with possible mentors. She learned she should be treating her writing as a business and should set a realistic timeline. She analyzed her present time commitments and realized she spends about five hours a week writing. When her youngest starts kindergarten next year, she hopes to double the amount of time she can devote to writing.
Luke chimed in that he makes sure he writes a bare minimum of 200 words per day, even if it’s not until he climbs into bed at night, just before he goes to sleep. This all reminds me that I need to make a plan to devote time to writing as well. If I’m working on something new and have a deadline, I can usually produce what I want. My problem is going back and re-writing something, or prepping a manuscript for submission, or doing cover letters or synopses. I find those to be such tedious tasks and tend to avoid them. What do you do to keep yourself focused and on track?
Luke read first, and we see Goren at the raging river as a body stuck in a tangle of branches floats towards him. He tries pulling the unconscious woman out but she’s too entangled. He is pulled underwater and is close to drowning, but grabs onto her hand and they’re carried downstream. They go over the waterfall and eventually reach the bank. Lots of tension and excitement in this scene.
Charity read more about Trixie. She huddles by the fire in the ruined cabin and then lances the wound on her leg. She dresses and collects her gold coins and then fires three shots with her father’s gun to bring the Preacher to her. She needs his help to get out of the canyon, even though she knows he wants to turn her over to the posse. He helps her climb out of the canyon and then looking for shelter she heads to a cave she sees has a campfire inside. As she enters, Fat Marley points a gun at her. She just seems to go from one bad situation to the next.
Annette read the next chapter about Maxine and Jarod. She’s back at the ICU, watching him sleep and talking to him about their deteriorating relationship. She remembers all the times he pushed her away when she wanted a kiss or a hug and wonders why he didn’t want her. When she smells the lunch trays she gets hungry and heads to the cafeteria where she thinks she’ll use Claire’s tips for getting the best food there. Each chapter expands on Max’s reasons for wanting to leave Jarod, and her frustration that she feels she has to stay to look after him.
I read an older, true story entitled “Forgotten Details”, about the effects of using visualization to produce desired events and solutions to problems. Unfortunately, when two people visualized results for the same problem, they weren’t looking at the same picture and one family fell apart with heart wrenching results.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. In the meantime, wear a Poppy and remember our veterans how very lucky the rest of us really are.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Luke, Charity and Annette joined me here last night and since I’d only had four Halloween trick or treaters the night before, there was lots of leftover candy out on the table to feed The Muse.
To start, I asked Luke and Charity how they made out at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Luke said in a casual discussion before supper on the Friday night, he was invited by Donald Maas to submit his manuscript for “The Heart Of The Earth”. That happened unexpectedly and Luke was so pleased.
Charity went to the Conference as a volunteer and did a lot of networking with possible mentors. She learned she should be treating her writing as a business and should set a realistic timeline. She analyzed her present time commitments and realized she spends about five hours a week writing. When her youngest starts kindergarten next year, she hopes to double the amount of time she can devote to writing.
Luke chimed in that he makes sure he writes a bare minimum of 200 words per day, even if it’s not until he climbs into bed at night, just before he goes to sleep. This all reminds me that I need to make a plan to devote time to writing as well. If I’m working on something new and have a deadline, I can usually produce what I want. My problem is going back and re-writing something, or prepping a manuscript for submission, or doing cover letters or synopses. I find those to be such tedious tasks and tend to avoid them. What do you do to keep yourself focused and on track?
Luke read first, and we see Goren at the raging river as a body stuck in a tangle of branches floats towards him. He tries pulling the unconscious woman out but she’s too entangled. He is pulled underwater and is close to drowning, but grabs onto her hand and they’re carried downstream. They go over the waterfall and eventually reach the bank. Lots of tension and excitement in this scene.
Charity read more about Trixie. She huddles by the fire in the ruined cabin and then lances the wound on her leg. She dresses and collects her gold coins and then fires three shots with her father’s gun to bring the Preacher to her. She needs his help to get out of the canyon, even though she knows he wants to turn her over to the posse. He helps her climb out of the canyon and then looking for shelter she heads to a cave she sees has a campfire inside. As she enters, Fat Marley points a gun at her. She just seems to go from one bad situation to the next.
Annette read the next chapter about Maxine and Jarod. She’s back at the ICU, watching him sleep and talking to him about their deteriorating relationship. She remembers all the times he pushed her away when she wanted a kiss or a hug and wonders why he didn’t want her. When she smells the lunch trays she gets hungry and heads to the cafeteria where she thinks she’ll use Claire’s tips for getting the best food there. Each chapter expands on Max’s reasons for wanting to leave Jarod, and her frustration that she feels she has to stay to look after him.
I read an older, true story entitled “Forgotten Details”, about the effects of using visualization to produce desired events and solutions to problems. Unfortunately, when two people visualized results for the same problem, they weren’t looking at the same picture and one family fell apart with heart wrenching results.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. In the meantime, wear a Poppy and remember our veterans how very lucky the rest of us really are.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
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