A Missing "Piece"

        Yesterday evening was WWWP night. The evening where five fierce writers gather, their writing pieces in hand, and critique and support and snort and snark.

      Ooops, last night there was one of the WWWPs missing in action. A bad cold had kept her home, overdosing on zinc.

       Since Tammy was the one who was MIA, and since she is our resident Grammar *itch, we all scrambled to fill in for her. Where do those commas belong? How about that apostrophe--what is the most accepted placement? We did our best, but fell short. Not only did we miss her deft touch, we missed her writing voice.

      I had seen a grammar pen, and mentioned it to my fellow WWWPs, but since no one believed me, I'm including a link. It vibrates when an error is made, which--in our group--led to some wild digression.

       As writers, when something is missing, we know it. Succintness. A strong ending. A hook at the beginning. When we get the story down, then we can attend to the missing components.

       Last night, except for Tammy, nothing was missing. Apparently Elvis had not left the building. Lynn shared a story she had written quite a while ago about a trip with "Elvis," which proved that a good storyteller's stories have great bones, no matter how ancient the story is.

      Linda brought a story about the WWWPs. In not many words, she had captured the flavor and the evolution of our group.

      And Beth...Beth has written a story that is honest and raw, exposing her vulnerability. She took a Chicken Soup theme and has condensed it down it its very essence.

      Tammy, you had better be over your cold in two weeks. You had better get off your butt and join us. We missed you. When a piece is missing, there's a void...a void that a vibrating pen could not fill.

It's All Gravy

        Friday I was driving home, on a main drag wannabee, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted someone coming out of a building. It's always been a building that I never paid any attention to, in spite of me passing it twice a day. Is it an office? A tiny restaurant? A hardware store? Not sure, because there is no sign--at least not one that I've seen.

     Since this is the first time I saw any activity in front of this little stretch of a strip mall, my interest was piqued. And then I saw a sign painted on the glass door. This is what the gold letters said:

                       The Gravy Station

      And then I realized that the man coming out of that building was holding onto a huge tureen of...gravy? 

      Of course, that is not what it said. I'm not sure exactly what the sign said, and certainly that man was not cradling a vat of fatty gravy, but all the way home, I thought about how wonderful it would be if we could stop by--on our way home--and get a tub of gravy.

       You're going to make some mashed potatoes but are in the mood for something besides butter to dollop onto them? Stop by the Gravy Station.

       You're going to have some biscuits and eggs, but you're hankering for some gravy to ladle over those biscuits? Stop by the Gravy Station. (They've got several types to choose from, after all.)

        You're a bit blue, and want to take hunks of bread and sop up something rich and greasy? Stop by the...

        Well, perhaps it's a good idea there is not really a Gravy Station. But it was a pleasant daydream as I hurtled home.

        What kind of daydream has entertained you recently?
       

Donna Volkenannt--Look Out!

       I got an email today that my story, "Princess of Procrastination" has made it through to the final rounds. Some stories--they tell me, and I shudder--get axed at the last minute. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

       Trying to increase my odds, I submitted two stories for this collection. One was about my fabulous writing group; the other was about a picture book manuscript I had written but was procrastinating about.  It is that story Chicken Soup is considering...

     And where does Donna Volkenannt figure into this post? Why does she need to look out? 

       It was Donna who used an electric cattleprod on me prodded me to send my manuscript off. She called my bluff. She nudged me with a rough foot up my butt gentle encouragement.

      This past week or two, I've been in a writerly funk. Not in the mood to write. Not inspired. Not eager to hit the laptop.

      Perhaps this little glimmer of hope will get me going again...

Cupid's Arrow Has Found Its Mark

Yes, it's official. The powers-that-be have proclaimed that Sioux can indeed do romance. (I'm sure when my husband sees me snoring and drooling, while sitting upright on the couch, at 7:30 at night, he might question that ruling.)

This past weekend I got word that my story, "Playing a Different Tune" will be published in Welkin Press' Cupid's Quiver. 

Since romance is such a foreign genre to me, I used some elements of reality. This year, I am taking violin lessons right alongside my third graders, much to the dismay joy of our violin teacher. 

I took our violin teacher, changed her to a man and made her Venezuelan (my teaching partner's husband is from Venezuela), transformed myself into a young teacher in her early thirties (sweet!),  and added some of the actual screw-ups that have happened to me during our lessons. It's a reality-romance mash-up.

What have you done or tried in order to make a story more realistic? Gary Paulsen once ate a fish eyeball in researching Hatchet and Brian's Winter. (He promptly threw it up, his sled dogs immediately gobbled it up, and that made him hurl once more. This is chronicled in his book Guts.)

I know my fellow WWWP, Linda O'Connell, also has a story that will appear in Cupid's Quiver. I've heard that Donna Volkenannt's story will be included as well. Are there any other blogging buddies who had stories accepted by Pat Smith? Give a shout out and give yourself a pat on the back. For at least Linda and me, it was an instance when writing out of our boxes paid off...

Writing Outside of Your Box

          I admit, this post is not directed at Fireblossom who writes mind-blowing poems every day (and lately, several times a day). Not only are the images and word choices she crafts responsible for lots of teeth-gnashing by those who are envious, but the style and tone of her poems is so varied, it's hard to believe one person actually writes all of that poetry. (There is an investigation underway by the PP--the Poetry Police--because of the many allegations that have arisen, but since witnesses are still being questioned, no details are available at this time.)

photo by jaqian

          I began this new year by writing something that was way out of my box. Late last year, I had submitted to a romance anthology. Since I am incapable of heaving bosoms and men with Fabio-esque looks, it was humorous. It was snarky. It was rejected.

        Stung by the resounding gentle "no" I received in November, during the first days in January I opened up my laptop to craft something for the same editor--a different anthology but still the pesky romance genre. I am holding my breath, waiting for either a yea or a nea.

        Everything else I write is creative nonfiction. Writing a romance is not my forte, but my stubborn nature has fueled my efforts during the occasions I do emerge from my box--these two romance stories...a novel that is currently in a rut--I'm pushed forward by my pride. And when I fail to get something published or a little voice inside me says 'Don't be ridiculous. You can't do that, Sioux,' my uncertainty surrenders to my stubborness.

       What have you done--writing or otherwise--that has brought you out of your box? What fuels you? What keeps you moving forward? Inquiring minds want to know...

(This post is also not aimed at Mama Zen, either. She's a poet who can write mind-boggling poems with just a few words. After the investigation into the ruse Fireblossom has created has concluded, one is going to be launched to check out Mama Zen. Is she really a mother? How can an actual mother squeeze out creative brilliance like that as she does diapers and laundry and lunches?  Was she really a singer in a band in her "former" life?  How much talent can one person hoard?) 

        

Breaking Bad: Everything I Learned About Writing I Learned From Breaking Bad

Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad


1.  Details matter. Walter White is a meth cooker, and wears a rubber apron, to complement his underwear, as he doesn't want to go home smelling like meth. Boxers would have been a possibility, but tighy-whities are a detail that adds to the character...and the quirkiness of this show.

2. Show, don't tell. The writers could have told the audience, in just a few bits of dialogue, how desperate one of the characters became by the end of the 4th (and most recent) season. However, at the very end of the season's final episode, a shot of a pot of lillies of the valley showed the desperation. That one shot packed a powerful whallop.

3.  Get into your characters.  If a writer does not really know their characters, neither will the readers...and the readers won't care about the characters, either. One of the characters, played by Giancarlo Esposito, is the iciest creature I've ever seen walk on two legs. The audience sees his callousness,  his calculating-coldness, and his brutal unpredictability. However, the audience also sees his kindhearted side and they see--via flashbacks--what is driving his black heart.

4. Leave 'em wanting more. Keep 'em guessing.   Every episode left me on the edge of a cliff. I would wonder, Where is this headed, because I can't see any way out of this corner. And sure enough, there would be a solution, a way out. And I am desperate for more. The final (fifth) season starts up this summer (or so they say). I cannot wait...If your readers know exactly where your story is going--every twist and turn is telegraphed 30 pages before they happen, what is the point in reading it? 


Sons of Anarchy and (now) Breaking Bad are my guilty pleasures, but since I've frothed at the mouth to everyone I've encountered about Breaking Bad, I guess I'm not feeling too guilty about watching it.

How about you?  What have you learned about writing via movies or television shows?