lcrwpres Presentaation summary

Show-dont tell – presentation

At last Saturday's meeting we were watching a video presentation entitle "show - don't tell." After a few minutes, fussy technology reigned and I couldn't get the video restarted. Member, Kim Gore jumped up from her seat and professionally saved the day. After a bit more instruction, she gave us the following prompt that tells about something happening and asked us to write the same scene showing it to our fellow readers. 
Prompt: He was so angry that he threw the shovel across the driveway and screamed. His wife came out of the house and gave him a cup of cocoa.  
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My descriptive version: by Paul Irvine

He stared hard at the shovel, half full of snow, the ice sticking to it adding ten pounds. His frozen toes now forgotten, he kicked it, shattering the ice and his big toe, and sending him flying down the driveway on his back. The resulting scream echoed down the street, like a blast from a shotgun. His wife, already half way out the door, rushed to him, slipped and spilled the hot cocoa down his open jacket. As she hit the ground, their duo screams set off their car alarms, adding to the winter cacophony filling their neighborhood!
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Effort to show not tell - Kathleen Plum:

It was a bitter cold wintery morning and the three feet of snow and ice on Jack’s driveway begged to be left alone. He was still steaming from the argument with his wife over their taxes; he was happy to feel the icy breeze brush his nose and cheeks as he stepped out of the house with the snow shovel. A thin, fluffy coating of snow had disguised the thick, hard layer of ice beneath it. In pure frustration, Jack threw his shovel across the driveway and screamed. But then he saw the outline of a bloody human hand, with only 3 fingers, encrusted in the ice below. Now the wind- or maybe it was the hand in the ice- took his breath away entirely. Jack was still speechless as his wife came out of the house bearing a cup a cocoa in repentance for her part in the dust-up that morning, oblivious to the macabre scene that awaited her.
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Immediate response to telling prompt -  by Sue Spitulnik

"This damn snow. I want to move south."
"You've said that for years and I agree, then you say you won't leave the kids."
"That's your line."
"Okay. It's your mother you won't leave. Go shovel before she gets here."
He put on three shirts, his insulated pants, a heavy coat and gloves. I added his knit cap and opened the door for him. Next thing I heard was a scream and a thump. I ran to the window. The shovel was five feet into the yard and he was sitting on his ass, fuming, but seemed okay. I watched. He slowly turned to get on all fours and gingerly got up. I went to the kitchen to make him a cup of hot cocoa and put a shot of whiskey in it thinking whatever works. I took it out to him. He would be nicer when his mother arrived. 
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As you can see, Paul and Kathleen followed the prompt. Sue rearranged the timeline in her writing showing that everyone wrote what came to mind with different character personalities, and different settings. This is because every author draws on their own personal experiences when writing, and no two people think alike. It was a good presentation for everyone present. Fun side note: more than one person included an argument about doing their taxes.
lcrwpres Presentation described

Show, Don’t Tell

Every author has to learn to write prose that lets readers experience the story by using their five senses. It’s not as easy as it sounds because telling what is happening in a scene is how we generally write, but it leaves the reader feeling uninvolved. In some circumstances, showing is more challenging than in others. The meeting presentation on Saturday, February 22, will be Leslie J. Hall explaining how to show instead of tell by sharing great examples.

If you have heard this topic discussed before, I still encourage you to join us. There may be some tidbit of information spoken in a different manner that will help you incorporate showing into your writing more naturally.

The time and location of our meeting are given on the home page.

lcrwpres SellingShortStory

So You Only Write Short Stories

As the president of Lilac City Rochester Writers, I have heard more than one member say they only write short stories. That’s fine. Do what works for you!

A short story still needs a cast of characters, a beginning, middle, and end, and someone with a problem to solve. Short stories are a great way to try different plotting methods (learn these in our June presentation,) different genres, and different points of view.

Short stories are saleable individually, or put them together in your own collection. The good news today is the how-to of selling a short story is in this link. Click on the photo to be taken to an excellent article about selling your “baby.”

Writing And Selling Short Stories With Douglas Smith
lcrwpres Writing Prompt

Lighting Fascinates Me            

NASA researchers found that nighttime lights in the US shine twenty to fifty percent brighter in December due to holiday light displays and other activities. (Ron Charles, The Washington Post citing The Earth at Night, NASA-2020)

I find that bit of information interesting. A few years ago, while visiting the Grand Canyon, I experienced the opposite. At the hotel and cabin complex near the south rim, most all outside lights were off at night in the name of preventing “light pollution.” Small “night lights” were the only illumination on sidewalks. It was dangerous as I couldn’t see well enough to discern the numbers on the cabins to make sure I entered the correct doorway. I had to use the flashlight on my phone.  

Last weekend I had the opportunity to enjoy a two-and-a-half-hour nighttime parade on the city streets of New Orleans. The lighted floats and costumes were delightful. The police presence for security was impressive. Did I feel unsafe? Not at all, but for all the work put into the costumes, I think I would have enjoyed being able to see them better. There were three young people’s bands with lots of drums. I wish I could have given their adult instructors a sign that I respected the time they were donating, but they couldn’t see me well enough so I could get their attention. It was only 50 degrees. I was glad to have on my warm coat that I wear all winter in rural New York State.

On a clear moonlit night at home, I stare out my bedroom window, admiring the shadows of tree limbs on the snow or ground. There are many sharp turns and pathways that remind me of my life. It has not all been easy. Some of the turns I have created myself, and others have happened because I did not take action or because someone else did something I had no control over. Looking at the shadows and remembering experiences gives me a sense of belonging and peace.

I’ve come a long way. My travels have been many, and there are more paths to explore. Some will be hidden in shadow and some will be so bright I may need sunglasses.

One can replicate the light that illuminates our paths by the light we leave in our wake. Just for a fun writing experience, please share your thoughts in the comment section about the types of light that you notice.

lcrwpres Presentation described

Happy 2025

Our January 25th meeting will find us planning for 2025. As President, still, I will be asking what you hope to gain by being a member of the group, What areas of the writer’s world you would like explained in presentations, and who do you know who can share their expertise.

We will discuss some ideas about what more the members could be doing for each other as fellow writers. Plus, there should be time for a fun writing exercise just to get the creative thoughts working and some words written.

I wish each of you, members and non-members, who follow our website and give life to the group a happy, healthy 2025.

Sue Spitulnik

lcrwpres Presentation described

November 23 Meeting

President Sue Spitulnik will be sharing her favorite conference takeaways from the year. One has to do with how to sell more books when you, as the author, are the guest speaker. Another concerns using that stored notebook you have waiting for a special occasion. (Bring it with you, please.) We will also discuss the importance of utilizing on-line conferences and why to go to live ones. One more item will be how to use the group to advertise your new books and/or anthologies before they are published and once they are.

Visitors are always welcome at Lilac City Rochester Writers. We hope you’ll come check us out. Our meeting location and meeting time are listed on the first page of this site.

lcrwpres Presentation described

Book Banning

Our presentation on April 27 will be hosted by Emily Clasper, the Associate Library Director at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County. She will be sharing information that might surprise you about who is behind trying to ban certain books that we have come to think of as classics and why.

Our group welcomes visitors who are writers interested in learning more about the craft, publishing trends, and all things books.

lcrwpres Author's examples

We Have a Winner

I’ll let Nicole share her good news. Please take the time to read her story. You will find that she’s very clever about “writing outside the box,” and you will understand what it takes to win a contest. Besides, her writing is awesome! Congratulations, Nicole.

“Happy New Year! I wanted to share that I won a writing contest. I discovered this site through Reedsy. They have quarterly writing contests that are modeled after athletic competitions where the stories compete in individual duels. You also get to be a judge for other genres.  Here is the link to my story and interview. Past Winners | Writing Battle

Nicole Galbraith”

lcrwpres Author's examples

Happy New Year

The older I get, the faster the time goes. I know you’ve heard that before. I’m not sure why it feels that way, but it does. Lilac City Rochester Writers has closed out another year of presentations, peer critiques, and our annual year-end pot-luck gathering. I feel it has been a year of growth, knowledge expansion, and good writing.

Personally, I joined a fourth writing group; Women Writing the West. I mention it because soon after joining, I went on a music cruise where I met an artist who is married to a full-blood Houma Native American. Because of the author/speaker I met through WWW, I knew about the tribe he mentioned. You should have seen his eyes light up when I knew where his wife was from. The point of this verse. One can expand their knowledge of life while they expand the craft of writing by belonging to multiple groups. I recommend it. I’ve added a 99-word flash piece that I wrote to demonstrate a story spine.

My Networking Reality      by Sue Spitulnik

As a girl, I dreamed of being an author.

But, after high school, I became a military wife writing letters home instead of a novel.

Years later, I started a blog. An avid reader from South Africa discovered it and led me to Carrot Ranch.

I enjoyed a Charli-led retreat in Vermont and became friends with another author who introduced me to Women Writing the West.

After a WWW conference where I heard Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer speak, I met an artist on the Big Easy Cruise whose eyes lit up because I knew about Houma and Choctaw Native Americans.

lcrwpres Presentaation summary

November 2023 Presentation Recap

During the presentation portion of our November meeting, we had a round-table discussion about doing research, hook and curtain lines, and how to keep interested in your own projects. One of the things our group does best is share experiences and knowledge about our love of writing. Below are the main results of the lively session.

  1. The first line of the product description should include a hook. This refers to a book blurb on any of the book-selling sites. Kathy Shay suggested bolding the first line. The shorter the description, the better, i.e., three to four sentences.
  • Stop setting up the scene at the beginning of the chapter and start with the action. Filter the background information throughout the chapter.
  • The curtain line at the end of the chapter could be the opening hook for the next chapter.
  • Use a Character Chart for descriptions, personality, education, conflict, etc., for the major characters. If you do this before you start writing, you will know how your specific characters will act or react in the situations you put them in.
  • If you already know the ending, write the story toward the ending, even if the ending may eventually change.
  • Use different colors to highlight different topics in your story when editing so you check detail accuracy and consistency.
  • When researching nonfiction, relationships with people you speak with are important. If you want information, ask for it. People like to talk about themselves.
  • How to keep interested in your work? Write shorter stories, include new characters, or add a subplot.