WRITING FROM SCRATCH

Today I attended Eileen Albrizio's creative writing workshop in Middletown, not too far from the Wesleyan University Campus. We performed two exercises. The first was to review the Triolet form of poetry writing which originated in France. Containing eight lines of which five are repeated, it goes like this:

In the strangled synapses of my tangled mind,
dreams, illusions, past hopes buried beyond end.
Her love came to me and found a place to bind,
in the strangled synapses of my tangled mind.
She left without a word and tasked me to find,
the love I lost, and feelings to mend,
in the strangled synapses of my tangled mind,
dreams, illusions, past hopes buried beyond end.

The second exercise consisted of coming up with a one-sentence beginning of a short story. I came up with this:

Dr. Stuart Bridges held a file titled 'Alexander the Great - Property of the U.S. Strategic Initiative' while he peered through the window at the young boy directing the war games on the grounds of the National Cloning Institute.

CAPA-U

Last Saturday, May 9th I attended CAPA-U at Hartford Steam Boiler. I was very nervous. For those of you who know me, I usually stay within my comfort zone and when I leave it, I'm usually with my wife and I lean on her for support. However, I did go to CAPA-U by myself. I drove around State Street and Columbus Blvd a few times because I could not locate the parking garage. I did find it and when I reached where the conference was held, I saw another member named Bruce. He has been so kind to me as a new member and probably more kind than he realizes. Anyway, Gina Barreca gave the keynote address which was humorous in Gina's own irreverent style. I first attended a mystery writers workshop hosted by Nikko and Jim McGoldrick. I found them to be very down to earth, easy to speak with, and extremely knowledgeable about their craft. Then I had my meeting with New York agent Jennifer DeChiara. She was very helpful and took my query letter and the first fifty pages of 'The Killing Zone'. She promised to read it and will get back to me. Then I attended a fantasy writer's workshop with MJ Allaire. I still have the first few chapters of a medieval novel that I've always wanted to finish. Maybe someday under a pen name, of course. Finally, I attended a memoir workshop with Howard Layton. Let me make this perfectly clear, I do not intend to write my memoir . . . at least not until I've sold my first million copies of my novels. I attended the memoir workshop because what I read of Mr. Layton seemed so fascinating. He is 90 and is currently working on the final book of his trilogy memoir. He was an RAF pilot in WW2, an actor on the British stage after the war, was presented to Queen Mary, and played Robert Taylor's double opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the movie, 'The Conspirator' which I have to purchase as well as his memoirs. Need I say more? Mr. Layton is truly an inspiration to us all. He has lived life well.

Getting Ready for CAPA-U

With my final edit of 'The Killing Zone' completed and my query letter in hand, I've been compiling the individual chapters together to see what length my novel is. It's approximately 118,500 words in length and either 213 pages on full 8.5x11 inch paper or 344 pages if set in a 6x9 inch format for local publishing.

Here is a summary of my novel:

Released from an Oklahoma prison, Videl Tanas joins up with members of his former motorcycle gang. Seeking revenge against his ex-girlfriend who testified against him, Videl murders her and then stalks and kills the arresting police officer and his wife. On the run and traveling to Montana to initiate a guns-for-cash deal with a corrupt local deputy, the gang encounters a Native American boy named Acaraho and his three friends. Videl’s gang viciously assaults Acaraho and his companions, murdering one of them. After the gang quickly departs the crime scene, the authorities arrive and arrest a semiconscious Acaraho, charging him with murder. Sheriff Jim Buchanan becomes involved in the case upon hearing of the charges against a member of his own tribe. With Jim closing in on the murderers, the gang kidnaps Jim’s daughter, Alma, using her as a hostage. Faced with the risk of losing his only child, Jim’s fury is unleashed. He enlists Willie Longfeather, an ex-con friend, to help him track the gang on horseback. With Willie’s assistance, Jim pursues the gang on tribal land until they faceoff in a climactic confrontation in the untamed backwoods of western Montana.