Who Should You Be in Your Writing Critique Group?

       Last night was the WWWPs writing critique group. While driving home after almost three and a half hours of solid work time (and if you know Sioux, you know there was no off-task talk, no sanctioned eating of chocolate, and no levity...  there's no room for laughter when we're working on writing), it occurred to me that I should take on other people's personalities when we meet.

photo courtesy of ladyjessop.com

       For example...

      I need to be Shirley McClaine. McClaine is the master at channeling others. When it was my turn to share--and while the other four writers were reading my piece--I reread mine and even then, I was crossing out unneeded words. I had revised it several times before last night... but unconsciously, I was thinking What words would they consider unnecessary? What phrases can I do without? What parts would they cross out if it was their piece?

      I should be Clint Eastwood. I need to squint more and talk less. Okay, I shouldn't squint more, 'cause that would result in more wrinkles, but I do need to narrow my focus as I examine what habits make the WWWPs so successful as writers... habits like perseverance... a workhorse work ethic... an unwavering commitment to their craft. And the more I listen to others, the more I'm going to soak up. Do I feel lucky? Well, do I, punk? Writing doesn't usually involve luck. It involves daily dipping into our reserves of ability and talent and having faith in our weapon--our pen, our pencil or our computer. 

    I need to be Nathan Lane. Lane is himself. He's comfortable in his own skin. Lane even flaunts his personality, He doles out the compliments in a bubbly manner... and he's never afraid to have a little bit of fun at his own expense. (Okay, maybe I can skip Nathan Lane. After all, I'm way too comfortable in my skin, and nobody wants any more flaunting of Sioux than is already taking place.)

          Who do you need to be as a writer? Chuckling minds want to know.

It's All in the Timing

          This weekend I finished Stephen King's Revival.  There were times I should have been working on my report cards a couple of weeks ago, but instead... I was reading King. There were times that I should have been reading my book club book*... but instead, I skimmed to the end of that one and read every word of Revival.

             It's not my favorite King novel. That honor would probably go to Delores Claiborne... or Misery... or NOS4A2. (Whoops--that's a doozy written by his son, Joe Hill.) However, it was religion and electricity and drug addiction and rock and roll all rolled into one book. I tumbled downhill until I got the conclusion--thoroughly entertained the whole way

           I happened upon this book in an odd way. I was at a dog rescue event, there was a silent auction, I decided at the last minute--right before the bids closed--to check out the auction,  and this book was there--with only one bid of $5... So, for $7 I got a looks-brand-new hardbound Stephen King book and a dog rescue group got a $7 donation from me.

           The book has a conversational tone. Jamie, the narrator, sometimes just rambles on, and the reader gets to know that character through the ramblings. (Most of the time, it's unspoken and internal.)

           As I read, it hit me. I need to create a conversational thread like this in my WIP. It would fit the tone of the story, and since I'm the Prime Minister of Rambling, it would be an effective way of fleshing out my narrator.

           So why did I make a spur-of-the-moment decision to check out the auction? Why did I bid on this particular item?

           I think it was the right time to get this help--help straight from Stephen King himself...

            * The book I was reading for my book club was Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. We all decided:

• The book taught us a lot about the role of a dressmaker in the 1800's.
• The novel reminded all five of us how emotionally unstable Mary Lincoln was.
• If the author had written it in first person, and did more research, she might have ended up with three-dimensional characters. Unfortunately, the book seems more like a Civil War rehashing and not an I-care-about-and-believe-in-the-characters novel.

Finding One's Voice

         I've been spending time with a small group of 3rd grade writers after school. They work for microwave popcorn, chili or nachos (sometimes) along with the chance to tell their story... in a unique way.

        The group started out with six students, then four and this week it was down to two. Just two girls.

       Yesterday was our second-to-last day of working together. One of the girls (all school year) has written pieces that sing. Her stories are infused with pizazz. Her voice has almost always been quite evident and distinctive. 

       The other girl struggles. Her writing has been bare-bones (not in a good, sparse way) and she lacks confidence. Her words plod along on the page.

       We've been creating digital stories which makes me sweat (since I am technologically a nimrod) way more than the kids. The students have brought in photographs and drew pictures to be a part of their stories. 

        Yesterday we did some video clips to insert in our pieces. When I suggested that instead of reading their bits off a notebook, perhaps they could say their spiel in a more conversational, off-the-cuff way, they both rose to the challenge... and the results were incredible.

        Each of the girls knew their story. They knew what they wanted to say because they had written it, so when they had the opportunity to use their voice and their facial expressions and their gestures to help convey their story, they did an outstanding job.  

      I have been struggling with a WIP. Struggling perhaps is not the best way to put it. Perhaps mired in the muck would be more accurate. The project has sat, stagnant, for a while. However, even though I haven't written much on it, I have been thinking about it. Ruminating. Reading other things (like Stephen King's Revival) and getting some pre-writing done.

      I'm hopeful that when I get some time to write this summer, my voice will become unleashed. I'm hopeful (fingers crossed) that I can fill in the holes that have reared their obnoxious head in my story (so far).

      What are your plans this summer?  

"Out of the Womb in Camouflage"

        I've been buried under report cards and end-of-the-school year paperwork for the past week--still am--but I had to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day.

       In the middle of the night when I was hunched over my laptop, writing comments on 27 report cards, I saw a short feature on a veteran. He had loved the camaraderie of the military so much, he signed up for a second tour of duty. During that second tour, he got his leg blown off. When asked if he knew then what he knew now, would he do it again, he replied, "In a heartbeat."

       He later said, "I think I came out of the womb in camouflage." He received a Purple Heart from President Obama. He's now busy putting his life together...

      In two days my son is leaving for an air force base. He's finished his first year of med school; it's the military's nickel (millions of nickels?) that's paying his tuition. Beginning on the 28th of May, he has four weeks of officer training. When he's finished, he'll serve for four years to pay the country back.

      On this holiday I'm thinking of my dad, who served and wanted to be sent overseas. Unfortunately for him (but perhaps fortunately for me?) he blew out his knee playing basketball and never left a U.S. base. 

      I'm thinking of that veteran who is now adjusting to life with a new leg.

      And I'm thinking of my son...

      Happy Memorial Day!

Slipping into a Writer's Style

       More than a decade ago, I joined the Gateway Writing Project. It's the St. Louis site--part of the National Writing Project--and teaches teachers to become confident writers and teaches them how to teach writing. It was a life-changing summer.

      One of the things we did (and it still amazes me) was an activity that required us to slip into the skin of a writer and write like them. (This brilliance was delivered by Dr. Jane Zeni.) Some teachers were given a Kurt Vonnegut passage. Some were given a Jane Austen passage. I don't remember the other authors that were included. I only know it made each of us closely examine an author's style. The rhythm of their writing. The way they use punctuation. Their word choice.

      After we felt we were familiar with our author's style, we were asked to insert three different sentences into the passage, and if we matched their style well, it would appear as if it were a single, seamless piece. Of course, we hoped that the other educators would not be able to sniff out the impostor insertions.

       If you could write like anyone, who would it be, and why? 

It's All Fodder

      This past Sunday my daughter, granddaughter and I traveled 3 hours (each way) to Kirksville to see my son. He's in med school there.

       I've written a number of stories about "Da Boy" some of which have been published in various anthologies.

        With our son, there is no shortage of stories...

        We got to enjoy a late lunch/early dinner at Macon's best restaurant and meet his girlfriend. Over the meal, we entertained her with retelling some of his antics.

        For instance:

• My boy took advantage of a "special" senior skip day--in the fall--that was held for just his friends. He expected me to believe him.
• Our son refused to get his hair cut or use a hair net for marching band. His hair was too long to be hidden under his hat. His solution: have the girls in the marching band put his hair into dozens of tiny pigtails, using pink and purple and green rubber bands. To make the matter even more comical, this was during marching band camp, and it was also the day that yearbook pictures were being taken. In the yearbook is a portrait of our boy looking quite, uh, unusual... 
• Our child, so excited that it was almost the end of his junior year of high school (on the second-to-last day before summer break), turned himself into a human bowling ball and slid across the cafeteria. He slammed into a garbage can, causing it to tip over. He got suspended--the end of the school year came quicker than he had originally thought--and had to take some finals early.

       And there was the time when we had to rent a Speedo swimsuit for him while in France. He was under the impression we had bought the suit--new--for him to wear, since it was required for the water park. Ooops. That was one of the many stories I didn't have time to tell. It'll have to wait until next time...

McDonald's was NOT where we dined. We ate at AJ's, but I had to turn
so the sun was at my back when I took the photo... and there are the golden arches
filling up the background. What an incredible photographer I am... ;)

       When you have kids, you not only get gray hair and wrinkles and an ever-increasing waistline because of them and an addiction to chocolate, you also get fodder for stories.

        How do your kids react when you tell (or write) stories about them? A talkative mom wants to know.