This Christmas Season

"When it rains, it pours." I have mentioned that to my sister before. Her response -- "We don't have rain storms, this family has hurricanes." So true.

I've been slow on the blogging this month. First, I've been busy with my holiday traditions. To the Phoenix Theater with my friend Lois to see their annual Christmas show. Loved it! Loved it! To Theatre on the Square with my friend Joe and his friends The Mikes. Guys -- I think we should do something different next year. Just sayin'.

Onto the Indianapolis Men's Chorus to see Joe perform. I saw a couple of good friends -- Kathy and Elizabeth. This year's concert was wonderful. Great job! Joe -- you need to project a little -- no, just kidding. You were fine. And you weren't the only one that was fine...

Meanwhile, among the festiveness, I've dealt with a father whose lost 40 lbs. in just over two months. I've watched him age fast. I'm reminded of my mother and how she seemed to age over night. He's got kidney failure, congestive heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure... The guy didn't get the best warehouse to work with this round. Hopefully, when he moves on, they'll give him something better.

I just can't help but feel scared and sad. You never think your parents will die. They should live on and on and on. And in a sense, they do. It's not a final parting. It's a temporary separation. Someday, we'll shake hands again. There be no fear of the past or secrets.

CSM

New Directions... No, I don't mean the boy band.

With the changing of my blog address, I already feel like I am now on my way down a whole new path.   I have lived with The Fingerprint of Jack for two and half years.   Now, I near completion of the last round of editing.  The cover will be unveiled hopefully next week.

It's been a two year project.   It's time to move onto the next one.

Cleo and Edgar:  A Time Savers Club Adventure is the title of book two.   I had no issue finding names for the first two books, but book three of the trilogy has yet to provide me with its name.

Keep watching for more chapters, materials from The Time Savers Club archives, and who knows what else on my other blog.

Watch this blog for my shameless self-promotion, short stories, and who knows what else.

Also, I just found a sci-fi writer by the name Christopher Marshall who lives in Ohio.  Guess I'll have to go by Christopher S. Marshall.   Sorry other Christopher Marshall -- I would prefer the credit for my book.  I suspect that you would prefer your credits as well.
CSM

Official Notice

Hey everyone

I am officially changing the web address of this blog from -- http://fingerprintofjack.blogspot.com/ -- to http://christophermarshallwriter.blogspot.com.

Since I am now moving onto other projects, like book two and three, plus other short stories, and then there's that other novel unrelated to anything I've scratched out so far...

So many words, plots, ideas, characters all jumping around in my head!  I may go crazy!

Yours

CSM

My First Writers Conference

Last Saturday, I attended my first writers conference sponsored by the Writers Center of Indiana.  "The Gathering of Writers" at Indiana Landmarks Center proved to be well worth the money.   I enjoyed my chosen sessions -- all on fiction. 

Melissa Fraterrigo's session focused on effective openings that captured the reader's imagination.  Sarah Layden led us through exercises and discussions on "mapping fictional places and spaces."  And last, but not least, Ben Wintes gave "a fast-and-furious, down-and-dirty lesson" on plotting and structure.  I am still in awe of all three!

OK, this will sound very strange!  I learned nothing, but learned an amazing amount about writing.  Here's what I took away from listening to these three generous writers --

You are the producer, the director, the set-designer, the costumer, the actor, the actress, the screenwriter...  It's yours totally to own.  No one can take it away.

You take common (and not-so common) words turn them into any sized story you want.  Treat it like silly putty and stretch it any direction you want, into any space or time, and create characters who can be simple or complex.

You take your reader by the hand and say "Hey... Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination."  (Thank you, Gene Wilder's Willie Wonka!)   Be it down the river, up the mountain, through the woods, under the earth, up to the moon or beyond.   Anywhere.

You have the ability to escape and take a few readers with you.

I just have to remember that it's a rough road filled with patience, perseverance, tough choices, tears, fears, laughter, and simple joy.

Now, when's the next conference?  I'm ready!

 

A Hard Road to Travel -- Part 8

April 9

Indianapolis

Dear sis,
Wow!  How about the dr fees!  We had the same thing here for a while.  They are now controlled by the Mayor and Council.  Lots of complaints by the drs, but way too many by the public.   Dr. Karkus, the one I work for, sat a fair system from the beginning, but others were gouging.  By the way, I found out they've got you a plot next to ours at the garden.
Now for the interesting news --  Harry took a field trip with a group of student engineers from IU.  They went west to the Mississippi lakes then down to the gulf.  He was gone for about 10 days.  They went to Memphis.   He said there's a lot of damage.  They were supposed to go on down to Winona in Mississippi, but they've blocked off the area, said the ground was too unstable.   He did bring back a new map showing what the country looks like from space.   If you've got a good road atlas, US 70 marks the north line for the most part, Interstate 65 for the east, and highway 83 to the west -- that whole area is now underwater.  Looks like Mexico got hit bad too.  He also found out the Panama Canal is gone and the continents are now separated by about 20 miles.
Gotta stop for now.  Will send more info later. Now it's off to community meeting.

Love Sal

*****

April

Keene, NH

Dear Sal

That's a lot of interesting stuff.  Did you hear about Hawaii?  Rumor has two of the islands now connection and they each have gotten bigger.    I also heard part of India is gone as well.   I find all of this fascinating.   Of course, it's not happening to us.   It would be different if it happened to us personally.  
We got our gas ration approved.  Now, we start planning.  Bert says we can ship most of our stuff on the train.   It will be cheaper and save on the gas.   Mama and the kids can take it as well.  Their fares are cheap and it would save them the long trip.   The train is a little quicker.   We have to do what we can to save gas.  Anyway, it's a short letter.   Will write more very soon.

Love ya
M

My Inner Critic

Without criticism, how does a writer grow?  

Critics may sting or bite or even snarl, but I believe they provide you with better insight into your writing.  Publishing houses can do the same.  Although, I do keep in mind that J. K. Rowling's first book was passed on by several publishers.  Gee, I wonder if they made as much money with their chosen books to publish as she did writing book seven?  

My fear spins around an unseen critic.   The one hiding deep inside my mind.  I hear the jerk's words...  "You're a nobody.  Who cares about your stupid book?  Or writing?  Or blog?"

Maybe it's doubt I hear and not the inner critic.

As for the exterior critic, the one who reads your book, dishes about the flat cardboard character, the thin plot, the poor structures.  Why should I care about them?   They may or may not help me improve my techniques, character development, fuller plot, better writing.  Or maybe, most of all, I want to hear from them because I'm a sadist.

Sometimes, I have the pleasure of sitting at the library's reference desk in the fiction area.   As I scan the great sea of fiction titles filling the shelves, I cannot help but think "I can do this."

I've learned it is important to practice, patience, and perseverance.  Putting words on paper, then edit, then edit again.   Read.   Read again.  Read as a writer.   Read as a reader.  Study the words, the structures, the plots, the characters.   How are they intertwined?   What is memorable?

No matter what, just keep writing.

CSM

Writing Space

From the "learn-it-the-hard-way" method, I discovered that writing spaces are important.   The area must be comfortable, clean, clear of clutter, and away from distractions.

As I look at mine, I can check off that my space is...  Well, none of the above.   I have an uncomfortable chair, a kid-sized desk from the 1930s, a nick-knacks from travels, wee piles of scrap paper with notes, and dust.

Yet, somehow I managed to fill a 127 pages (8 1/2 by 11) with a trifle over 47,000 words to form the first part of a larger story.

Often I longed for comfort.   So, I set myself a new goal.  Get a comfortable chair and a bigger desk, dust more frequently, and clear a portion of the clutter.  The nick-knacks have to stay.  Those momentos of my travels remind me of the more important things in life.  Keep traveling.  They also inspire me with ideas for plots, "what if" moments, and character development.

CSM