Local Writers Read at 'An Evening With WriteByNight'

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Dec
28

Thursday, December 17, local creative writing workshop program WriteByNight hosted an evening of literary readings, live music and fun at WineStyles in Palm City. The event celebrated the culmination of WriteByNight’s 8-week fall workshop session. The Creative Writing Workshop’s 9 dedicated members read from original works–genres ranged from fiction to non-fiction to poetry to memoir–addressing an audience of 50-plus. Guests sipped wine and munched hors d’oeuvres, spellbound by the writers’ talents and seasoned performances. 

Other highlights of the evening included musical performances by local songwriter Luke Mazzina, and a high-yield raffle with prizes generously donated by local businesses such as Edible Spirits, Apree Salon, WineStyles and, of course, WriteByNight. Lucky winners took home holiday cakes, salon services, wine tastings, writing consultations and workshop discounts, values ranging $50 – $100. Food for the event was provided by the Tabuleh Café at Planet Ozone.

If you missed An Evening With WriteByNight, don’t fret! The conclusion of WriteByNight’s winter workshop session in March will bring another fabulous event with all new readings and fresh fun for all.

WriteByNight’s winter workshop session is now open for registration. Offerings include workshops in Creative Writing, Screenwriting and Songwriting. 

To register or learn more, visit www.writebynight.net, email info@writebynight.net, call 914.420.0821, or attend a free informational event: January 5 at 6 and 7 p.m. (Creative Writing), January 19 at 6 p.m. (Screenwriting), January 20 at 6 p.m. (Songwriting). All informational events will be held at The Arts Council, located in the Court House Cultural Center at 80 E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart. 

WriteByNight is sponsored by The Arts Council, Inc., serving Stuart and Martin County.

List of readers and works (in alphabetical order): Georgette Beck, It Really Does Come Full Circle, memoir; Marcia Davis, Sometimes, Your Cake May Not Rise, non-fiction; Robert Jenkins, Loggie: A Sea Turtle, children’s fiction; Sandy Larsen, “Solo Traveler’s Lessons,” non-fiction; Nicholas Manzino, Three Poems, poetry; Joanna Smith, “The Hope Tree,” short fiction; Tanya Spain, The Sound of Hello, novel; Bobbi Spencer, The Driftwood Inn, novel.

Hemingway Exercise

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Dec
8

Sue and Jack studied the menu avoiding each other’s eyes.
“I can’t decide between the veal piccata and steak au poivre. Do you want to share one of those?” Jack asked.
Sue’s head jerked up
“You have been working such long hours, you don’t remember that I am a vegetarian now. If that’s not important to you, I will add that I don’t like to share either.”
“I think I’ll have the steak.”
“You are making unhealthy choices.”
“I work long and hard to be able to afford what I want. A good steak makes life worthwhile.”
“A good wife is a value you may not recognize since you are so rarely at home.”
”A man has to earn a living.”
“Or is a man living on borrowed time while making time?”
“I think I’ve lost my appetite.”
“I certainly hope so. I am ordering the snapper.”

The Selection Process

Posted by admin in Writing Help      No comments

Dec
8

Selection processes vary from editor to editor, publication to publication, but your manuscript (if you’re lucky) will go through four stages:

1. After sitting in a pile on a desk (or on the floor) for several weeks/months, it will be read by an underling (called a “reader” in the biz)

2. The reader will pass it along to a higher-up. The manuscript will again sit in a pile on a desk (or on the floor) for another few weeks/months, and then the higher-up will read it.

3. The higher-up will pass it along to other higher-ups, and they will discuss the merits and faults of the manuscript, and compare it to others that have made it to this level.

4. Your manuscript is selected for publication.

If you make it past Stage One, you’ve done very well for yourself, because Stage One is where manuscripts go to die.

At Fringe, I would say that we receive around forty short stories per week. Of those forty, our readers pass along probably 3-4. Less than 10% make it past that first stage. And for publications that receive dozens and dozens of mss every day, that percentage drops even more.

Consider these readers like the gatekeepers in Joseph Campbell’s monomyth—if you want to escape into that new realm and get your boon, you need to get past these readers.

Having spent some time as a reader, I can tell you some of the factors that made me pass along a story to the higher-ups. First, there are two hard and fast rules, the breaking of which will get your manuscript trashed before it’s even read. To wit:

1. Format your manuscript according to the publication’s specific guidelines.

2. Do not have typographical errors on the first page.

Breaking either of these rules is a sign of carelessness, and carelessness rarely, if ever, translates to a good piece of writing. Always remember: you are asking another human being to donate his or her time to your work. A reader’s (or editor’s) time is as precious as yours. Earn his or her attentions.

Among the factors that can get you kicked up to a higher editor … well, basically all of those things we’ve been going over in the workshop. Strong character, vivid settings, confident narrative, the dreaded “showing vs. telling.”

What it boils down to for most editors is, “Will readers of my publication enjoy this piece?” That is why knowing your market is among the most important steps in the submission process.

Example: Fringe publishes experimental work, often with accompanying themes such as Feminism, Environment, and the upcoming Working. Now, there is a fairly well-known writer who keeps sending short stories to us. He’s a talented writer, has been published in dozens of literary magazines all over the country, teaches writing at the Master’s level … but his fiction is fairly traditional. His stories are good. Damn good. But they’re wrong for Fringe. Our readers would not enjoy his work, so I have to reject him again and again.

So know your market.

And have a strong opening. If you can get someone to read into Page 2, you’ve made it further than 70% of the other writers who have submitted to the same publication. Grab your reader immediately, and don’t let him or her go.

Hemingway Exercise

Posted by admin in Your Work      3 comments

Dec
5

“Hey, Hun, do something about that noise, will ya. I can’t even hear myself think.”

“There. Is that better?” The wife said and flung the egg timer out the kitchen window.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Out of sight, out of mind . . . right, Dear.”

“Whatever. So, is dinner done? I’m starving.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want your needs to go unsatisfied now would we?”

The husband stared at his wife. She stood in the kitchen, staring back, and swirled the wine in her glass. When it sloshed over the rim down her hands, she didn’t bother to wipe it.

“Uh, you feeling ok?” he said.

She chucked her wine glass into the sink. Grabbed his fixed dinner plate and dropped it in front of him. The meat slid off the plate and clung to the edge of the china. “I am just peachy. Why do you ask?”

“For one, you just threw my meat at me.”

“Sorry. It slipped,” she said and plopped down the bowl of beets. The beet juice sloshed outside the protective circle of the bowl and stained the tablecloth scarlet.

“Sure you’re all right?” 

“I told you, I’m fine. Eat up before it gets cold.”

She watched as he shoved a slab of meat into his mouth, sauce dripping down his chin. 

“This is great. New recipe?”

“It’s veal. I know how much you like those younger cuts of meat.”

The husband started to choke, and coughed until his face turned red.

“What’s the matter? Can’t you handle it?”

She watched his eyes bulge from their sockets, and smiled.

“Did you put peanuts in this?” He grabbed his neck and started to gasp for air. “I’m allergic to peanuts, you know that!”     

 “Oh I know everything . . . Dear.”

Arlene’s Hemingway Exercise

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Dec
4

The husband and his wife sat at the table across from each other at their friends’ house while their hosts prepared the refreshments for the evening card party.  It happens once a month.

“Why don’t you cut the deck so we can play a quick hand,” the husband suggested.

The wife thought they should wait for their friends, but lifted the cards at the halfway point anyway.  He made the next cut.

“You’re high card, you deal,” she said dropping her voice into her lap.

Instead of commenting, he simply reminded her that the two of clubs plays first.

“Just what I need, a club,” she said.

The friends called out to see if they were doing all right.

“Yea, fine,” he returned, and threw down an ace of spades.  “Damn, that was a mistake!”

“Too late, you get to pick up the dirty black queen, again.”

“So, maybe I’m trying to run them.  Watch, I’ll take all the hearts too.”

“I think you’re on your way to doing it.”

“Can you tell?  It’s still early in the game.”

“I always know when you’re out for the kill.”

Her ace of hearts came out of her hand so hard that it make a sound as it hit the table.

“There, now you’re a loser; how did that feel?”

“Baby, I don’t know what’s up with you tonight, but can it wait until we get home?”

“No, the game’s over.”

Hemingway Exercise

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Dec
3

Why no results posted from our Hemingway dialogue exercise of earlier this week? Did you guys have trouble with it, or was it just not enjoyable? Or are you all still writing furiously and diligently?

Incidentally, I did a bit of research on the American’s comment that the operation is “Just to let the air in.” This refers to an abortion procedure labeled a “vacuum aspiration” — which is performed just as the name would lead you to imagine it is. Those interested can check it out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_aspiration.