Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Conversations with Calliope


JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Much better thanks.
CALLIOPE: Do what do we owe this resurgence?
JOE: I left for the Liftbridge Writers Group meeting last night plagued by self doubt about my writing and also wondering why my efforts were not appreciated more.
CALLIOPE: Did the meeting change your somber mood?
JOE: Indeed. What I thought made for a good story contained some glaring errors and an obvious (to everyone but me) inconsistency in the age of my protagonist which thoroughly distracted everyone including me once it came to my attention.
CALLIOPE: How did you end up submitting such a flawed piece?
JOE: I just finished pondering that matter. In my excitement about developing a story idea so quickly during the 24 hour contest, I became carried away and ignored some of the basics. When I write, I like to let a story percolate a while before I reconsider it for necessary revisions. I did not allow myself enough time for this to happen and submitted it in its raw state. No one to blame but me.
CALLIOPE: So you learned something from the experience?
JOE: I did. Next time I will build in some percolation time to let the story settle before a final review.
CALLIOPE: And you learned all this last night?
JOE: Yes and No. Our new member, Cindy, pointed out how our unconscious mind can sense what we can't articulate at the moment. I think this happened to me last night and I didn't realize what I had learned until I started writing my journal this morning. Thanks, Cindy.
CALLIOPE: So where is this story now?
JOE: Posted on Author's Den if you are interested. Look for The Child Bride under short stories at www.authorsden.com. Talk with you tomorrow.
(In Muir Woods, California)

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