Conversations with Calliope- Back to Writing

(Writing Space)

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.~ E. L. Doctorow

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I trust you survived your first days at GO ART.
JOE: I did and enjoyed working with other people after all my time writing alone.
CALLIOPE: What about today?
JOE: Today I'm back to my writing.
CALLIOPE: What's on your agenda?
JOE: First our conversation which is progressing nicely.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: I have my novel, Marital Property, to finish and a newsletter to write by next Saturday.
CALLIOPE: Where will you start?
JOE: Since I have only a vague idea what to write about next week, I will let the newsletter idea percolate for a while and work on the novel.
CALLIOPE: What is your idea for the newsletter?
JOE: My girlfriend Carol suggested that I write about waste in our society, a particular annoyance of hers.
CALLIOPE: I see. How about the novel?
JOE: I'm wading through the final edit and have one reader reader ready to go. I will need to find a couple others too. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Progress in the Vineyard

(Cruise Ship off Oak Bluffs)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How goes it today?
JOE: Well. I'm hard at work.
CALLIOPE: Continuing to review your novel?
JOE: Correct. I have pored over eighty-eight pages of Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: What have you discovered?
JOE: I am happy with the plot, character development and the rotating point of view.
CALLIOPE: Did you encounter any difficulties?
JOE: Nothing of much importance. I did find minor typos and ways to improve wording and phrasing.
CALLIOPE: So you are happy with what you see?
JOE: In general, yes. I think my characters and I were getting a little too familiar with each other. The break has been good for all of us and we are ready to get back to work.
CALLIOPE: Do you have a deadline for finishing work on the manuscript?
JOE: No. I have learned from past projects that pushing myself leads to mistakes although I satisfy my impulsive nature. I'm working on patience.
CALLIOPE: Good for you.
JOE: Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Cynthia and Denis

(Menemsha at Sunset)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What are you up to today.
JOE: Continuing my visit with Cynthia and Denis.
CALLIOPE: Those names sound a little familiar.
JOE: They are two of the main characters in my book, Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: I see. How are the three of you getting along?
JOE: Pretty well considering their dire circumstances with their marriage crumbling around them and their children at wit's end wondering what will become of them.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a mess.
JOE: It is. Fortunately they are just characters I invented.
CALLIOPE: From what raw materials.
JOE: Partly from couples I have met over the years and partly based on how I would feel in their predicament.
CALLIOPE: How does the manuscript look after a rest in the wine cellar.
JOE: Not bad. I'm going through it sprucing up the grammar here and there but the plot and description don't sound too bad to me.
CALLIOPE: Keep at it.
JOE: I plan to. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- A Novel Idea

(New Bedford Fishing Boats)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was your weekend?
JOE: Relaxing. I took a break to catch my breath before the next project.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: I decided to get my novel, Marital Property, out of mothballs and think again about publishing it.
CALLIOPE: Have you looked at it lately?
JOE: No. I planned to but then became absorbed in working on my CD.
CALLIOPE: Where did you leave off with it?
JOE: My first draft seemed dull in the third person.
CALLIOPE: I recall that you changed the voice.
JOE: I did. I let several of my characters take turns narrating from their points of view.
CALLIOPE: Did you think that improved the story?
JOE: The story hasn't changed much although I think the various points of view enhance it.
CALLIOPE: Let me know what you decide.
JOE: I will be sure to. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Fine. I'm ready to get to work.
CALLIOPE: What have you been working on?
JOE: Mostly marketing yesterday. In the afternoon I sat down to write my Nantucket chapter of Marital Property. I looked over my research notes on Nantucket and came up with some other questions. I spent the rest of my time finding out about the fascinations of Nantucket and never got to writing.
CALLIOPE: What about today?
JOE: I just have decide where the family will have dinner and will then write the chapter. It is first on my agenda this morning.
CALLIOPE: Then what?
JOE: I am starting to think about the ending. I think I am approaching it but don't have any firm ideas about how it should end yet. But I'll think of something.
CALLIOPE: I'll give it some thought too. Maybe we can talk about it tomorrow.
JOE: I'd like that.
CALLIOPE: What's up after writing today?
JOE: I have an appointment this afternoon and my writers' meeting tonight in Brockport. Other than that I plan to continue working on marketing. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Nantucket harbor)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. What happened to your schedule?
JOE: I got as far as writing in my journal and then got waylaid by a variety of tasks. I won't bore you with them, but I just came up for air.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad you decided to share your air with me. Did you write yesterday?
JOE: Yes. I did a chapter about my couple discussing how they would try to prevent further conflicts, at least of the recent magnitude.
CALLIOPE: Sounds conciliatory. What about your plan of balancing marketing and writing?
JOE: I had some time to think about it but I don't have a definite plan yet.
CALLIOPE: As I recall your first step was to decide on you audience and what might interest them.
JOE: I thought of a number of target audiences including those struggling with relationships, those thinking about marriage, readers who wonder why people stay together and why they don't.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good start. What do you think these people are looking for? What would make them choose your novel about addressing marriage difficulties?
JOE: I guess I have to do some more research on that one.
CALLIOPE: Maybe some of your blog readers have some ideas about what would interest them. JOE: Good point. I'll keep my eyes open for replies.

(Wedding attendees)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.

CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?

JOE: Fine. I got plenty done yesterday, including another chapter of Marital Property.

CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.

JOE: I wrote about Cynthia's conversations with her two sisters about her recent confrontation with her husband.

CALLIOPE: How did they take it?

JOE: Pretty well. They both had helpful suggestions and wished she had contacted them sooner.

CALLIOPE: Was the chapter hard to write?

JOE: No. I used their earlier conversations for reference and alluded to what they had talked about before.

CALLIOPE: What's next for our couple?

JOE: I think it's time for another counseling session. Things are looking optimistic at the moment but you never know.

(San Cristobal Castle)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.

CALLIOPE:Good morning Joe. Where are we?

JOE: I thought we would start meeting at the Democrat and Chronicle.

CALLIOPE: Sounds interesting. Do you think your readers know what we're up to?

JOE: Probably not. I'll tell them. Calliope is my muse and we have been having an ongoing dialogue for several months about my writing, it's progress, pitfalls and inspirations. Mostly we talk about my new novel in the works, Marital Property. You are welcome to tag along and listen or to join in our dialogue if you wish. Welcome readers.

CALLIOPE: Thanks for introducing me. What are your plans for today?

JOE: As you know, I getting toward the end of Marital Property and am working on my couple's reaction to their recent fight after quite a bit of progress in their relationship. Today I plan to work on Cynthia's reaction and her discussion about the situation with her two sisters.

CALLIOPE: Sounds good. How did it go with Denis yesterday?

JOE: Good. He talked with his brother and best friend by phone and was able to look at himself a little more objectively. They still have work to do but are making progress.

CALLIOPE: Good. I hope the marriage makes it.

JOE: So do I. But it is at a critical stage right now. We shall see. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Plants waiting for Spring)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Quite well, thank you. My back seems to be working normally. It's amazing how one little disorder can change your outlook.
CALLIOPE: Did it do that to you?
JOE: I can't say it changed my life outlook, but it did hold me back some.
CALLIOPE: Glad you're past that. What did you do yesterday?
JOE: I worked on publicity materials, refining my business card, announcements, news releases and brochure to coordinate with my web sites.
CALLIOPE: It sounds like you are making progress. Any writing?
JOE: Denis and Cynthia are back in the bedroom in Marital Property and from all accounts are enjoying every minute.
CALLIOPE: Did you finish the chapter?
JOE: No. I was a little pressed for time. Like my protagonists, I am enjoying this scene as well.
CALLIOPE: Well, I won't bother you about the intimate details. I hope you all have fun. What's on the docket for today?
JOE: First I have some refinements to add to Aunt Lucille's eulogy. I may not get some of the details I want until the wake this afternoon. I will probably have to come back here to touch up the eulogy tomorrow morning before the funeral.
CALLIOPE: Sounds rather last minute.
JOE: It's not in my control. Several people still have not gotten back to me but I should see them at the wake. I'll send you a copy of the eulogy tomorrow morning if I have time. I'd better get going.

(Shipboard Sunset- St. Lucia)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning, Joe. What's new with your writing?
JOE: Glad you asked. Yesterday was a busy day. I worked carefully, for a change, to make sure my submission was in the correct format. Then I converted my manuscript and synopsis of The Pastor's Inferno to PDF format and sent them off to a New York eitor who agreed to review the project.
CALLIOPE: Sound exciting. Is it?
JOE: Yes, it is. I have been working on this project since last November. I have had the idea for much longer than that but could not figure out how to do it.
CALLIOPE: What do you mean?
JOE: I had originally wanted to write the book as a series of interviews with abusive priests, but realized the cost would be prohibitive in my current circumstances. Then I had the idea of doing it as a novel and suddenly saw it as within my resources.
CALLIOPE: That's quite a switch. Have you ever written a novel before?
JOE: No. I have done a series of short stories over the years but never attempted a novel before.
CALLIOPE: So how do you think you did?
JOE: I am not exactly unbiased, but I think it turned out well. I guess we shall see how it is received.
CALLIOPE: I guess we shall. Now what?
JOE: My excitement about this project is carrying me forward and I am anxious to get on with the next project.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: Another novel tentatively titled, Marital Property. I'll tell you more about it next time.
CALLIOPE: Can't wait. Talk with you then.

On Completing a Novel

I recently completed seven months of work on my novel, The Pastor's Inferno, and have sent copies to my small band of critical readers. Although I did not have to undergo labor, I feel like I have given birth in some ways. I am protective of my creation, a little nervous about how my readers will accept it and hopeful that it will make a contribution to those whose paths it crosses. I also feel the separation from a work which has been an integral part of me for so long and now has to stand on its own. I want it to do well, but I realize there will come a point where I will have to let go and allow it to survive on its own.

(Scene from Dante's Inferno)