Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Better than yesterday. My computer was very sluggish for some reason and it frustrated me.
CALLIOPE: Amazing how we come to depend on electronics. What was the problem?
JOE: Hard to say. I was experimenting with some new programs. Perhaps one of them gummed up the works. I deleted some programs and found it working much better this morning.
CALLIOPE: Did you get to work on your writing yesterday?
JOE: I did. Later in the afternoon I did some work on Marital Property revising it to a series of first person accounts.
CALLIOPE: Where did you get that idea?
JOE: The storyt needed more immediacy and insight into characters who were previously rather lifeless. I also remembered Barbara Kingsolver's book, the Poisonwood Bible which I think we discussed before where she tells her story from rotating points of view of several characters. I thought this might work with Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: And is it?
JOE: So far I think it is. I have revised only a few chapters but I think the characters are starting to come to life. I am still wrestling with whether to tell the story in the present or past tense. I am experimenting with present tense. So far, so good. But the jury's not in on that point.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you are experimenting. That's what writing is all about.
JOE: I agree and am having a good time in the process.
CALLIOPE: Good. That should keep you involved.
JOE: So far it has. I'm looking forward to continuing the adventure. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Amish buggy and cart- Belfast, NY)