Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good Morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Fine. I'm ready to go to work.
CALLIOPE: What's on the agenda today?
JOE: I plan to work some more on my video for The Pastor's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: Any progress with it?
JOE: I am still sorting out the technical challenges. This is still a fairly new skill for me.
CALLIOPE: Anything else going on?
JOE: Just work on revision of Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: How is that going?
JOE: I'm happy with it.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I am continuing to write in the first person present tense. Other writing I have seen in this style limits each chapter to one narrator. I have been experimenting with multiple narrators in the same chapter. I am happy with it but will see what some of my readers think. It's uncharted territory for me.
CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting. It's always interesting to break new ground. You realize that some readers might be jarred by the break with tradition don't you?
JOE: I do. But I'm prepared for it. Then I will need to decide if it's too new. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Amish Family on a Picnic Bench- Niagara Falls, NY)

Conversations with Calliope

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Ready for another day. I have written in my journal and checked my email. Now I'm ready to go.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about yesterday.
JOE: I worked on Marital Property again. All of my major characters have made an appearance in the first person. I am still debating whether to use present or past tense in my narrative.
CALLIOPE: Why is that an issue?
JOE: I feared that present tense might get tiresome, especially in a novel length story. I decided to experiment with it and so far I like the results. I think I will continue with it at least for now.
CALLIOPE: What if you tire of it?
JOE: Then I will switch to past tense or a combination of past and present tense.
CALLIOPE: Do you have any models to consult.
JOE: I am reading Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible as I mentioned. She uses strictly first person and present tense for the most part although I noticed some sections with past tense.
CALLIOPE: Which tense do you like better with her book?
JOE: I think I like present tense better, but that doesn't mean it will work for me.
CALLIOPE: True. It's fun to experiment though isn't it?
JOE: It is. I am happy to have this opportunity to try various approaches and be free to choose whichever I like best. Talk with you tomorrow.
West Chop Lighthouse- Martha's Vineyard)

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)