Shakespeare

This summer, I spent two days in Ashland and enjoyed four plays, two lectures (about the plays), and a backstage tour. "Party People" was my favorite. Besides being a beautiful town, Ashland inspires creativity. I'm back in the Bay Area with multiple writing goals set to accomplish by the end of the year.  Vacations are time well spent.

The following quote could be used for a character's response in one of my chapters, maybe in one of yours too. If I was as ambitious as my friend, Anne Koch, I would use this quote for a chapter lead-in but then I'd have to search for more quotes to include in the rest of the thirty-nine chapters. 

 

The silence often of pure innocence
persuades when speaking fails.

- William Shakespeare

Tiny Lights Flash in the Pan

Susan Bono of "Tiny Lights" welcomes entries to her Flash in the Pan section. Maximum is five hundred words written in first person, blocked paragraphs, and include a bio of no more than fifty words.

Get you work out there.

Jessica Barksdale Writing Workshop

I met Jessica through her on-line short story writing class around 2003. I attribute my successes in winning five short story first place awards to her inspiration and instruction, not only in that first class, but as I continue to take her workshops.

This year I spent from June 28th to July 1st with about seven other writers in her home on a hill surrounded by trees. We read each writer's twenty-five page submission, made comments and suggestions. We listened to Jessica's experienced how-to's and had time to write them into our stories. We had an hour of yoga taught by her neighbor next door and we listened to Ericka Lutz's enthusiastic recounting of how her book, THE EDGE OF MAYBE, came to be published. We ate delicious food prepared by Jessica, and we luxuriated for hours in the writing world. Ah, I'm rejuvenated until next time.

Thank you, Jessica.

Tension Quote

"Glimmer Train" listed quotes in their 'Thoughts' page. The one below by Andrew Porter is one of my favorites since it describes my character, Hada, in Hada's Fog.

 

"I'm always thinking, What doesn't the character know? Often, the tension that drives a story comes from the fact that the character is being kept in the dark about something, or is perhaps in denial. That's a very powerful engine.—Andrew Porter"

Hada is in denial and it is her own perspective that is keeping her in the dark.

Your Character's New Aspect of Personality

Jack Heffron's The Writer's Idea Book, p.229, a prompt involves showing an aspect of a character's personality that readers haven't seen in the novel.  For example, if a character has been kind, considerate, and does everything right, show the opposite in a crucial scene.

Heffron talks about Tobias Wolff's Mary, "In the Garden of the North American Martyrs" where his character is "very nervous about landing a job teaching history at a college". She's been "agreeable, despite feeling a bit bullied by the hiring committee. In her final interview...she attacks, recounting the atrocities committed by Iroquois Indians, describing in detail their methods of torture. The chairman of the committee tries to stop her speech, but she persists, switching to the tone of a righteous prophet."

The character finally stands up for herself and the reader sees more depth in her. She presented "the surprising side to her personality" because she had been pushed to that point by old "hurts and losses that have nothing to do with the committee."

I highly recommend Wolff’s story. I read it years ago. Thanks to Jack Heffron for not only reminding me of that story but giving a prompt for deepening our character with a surprising aspect of personality.

Redwood Writers Conference

The CWC Redwood Writers Conference was informative, inspiring, and enjoyable. I attended four breakout sessions: "Historical Fiction: Stepping Back in Time" by Christopher Gortner, "Jumping into Mystery with Character" by Deborah Grabien, "Grammar: Don't Skip This Important Step" by Arlene Miller, "Revealing Character Through Dialog" by Ana Manwaring who filled in for Catherine Brady, Good setting, good company, good food makes for an outstanding conference.

Accepted in Las Positas College Anthology

Acceptance and rejection all in one day.

"Tiny Lights" sent a sweet, encouraging full page rejection letter for my two short story submissions. Susan Bono wrote, "Wow, big stories, Julaina". On one of the pages she gave me an important tip on how to improve the beginning Of "Life Support" which I appreciate. I took a chance because I knew both stories are controversial. Time to send them some place else. Someone out there might like the outside-the-box topics.

Before that rejection, I received the notice that Las Positas Anthology editors had accepted my story. I had never submitted to them before although several people had encouraged me to do so in the past. I revised the story yet another time, adding more sounds, smells, and textures before submitting. It must have helped.