Friday, June 28, 2013

Entry # 157 - "ENDINGS"

In Laura Oliver’s wonderful book, The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers, she suggests that writers go back and read just the last page of stories under revision to see if you still like your ending. Then she suggests that writers …"try reading just the last two paragraphs of every story in an anthology. Amazingly, many of the great ones are interesting, moving, or entertaining, even when you haven’t read the rest of the story."



So I returned to several stories from The Best American Short Stories of 2012, edited by Tom Perrotta and selected a couple to pull out some endings to examine.  See what you think of these endings.



Nathan Englander’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” from The New Yorker.


     “And you can tell that Shoshana is thinking of her kids, though that’s not part of the scenario. You can tell that she’s changed part of the imagining. And she says, after a pause, yes, but she’s not laughing. She says yes, but to him it sounds as it does to us, so that he is now asking and asking. But wouldn’t I? Wouldn’t I hide you? Even if it was life and death – if it would spare you, and they’d kill me alone for doing it? Wouldn’t I?

     Shoshana pulls back her hand.

     She does not say it. And he does not say it. And of the four of us no one will say what cannot be said – that this wife believes her husband would not hide her. What to do? What will come of it?

     And so we stand like that, the four of us trapped in that pantry.

     Afraid to open the door and let out what we’ve locked inside.”



Mary Gaitskill’s “The Other Place” from The New Yorker.



     “The hurts of childhood that must be avenged: so small and so huge. Before I grew up and stopped thinking about her, I thought about that woman a lot. About what would’ve happened if I’d gotten her there, to the abandoned house. I don’t remember anymore the details of these thoughts, only that they were distorted, swollen, blurred: broken face, broken voice, broken body left dying on the floor, watching me go with dimming, despairing eyes.

     Those pictures are faded now and far away. But they can still make me feel something.

     The second time I put my hand on Doug’s shoulder, he didn’t move away inside; he was too busy tuning in to the line and the lure. Somewhere in him is the other place. It’s quiet now, but I know it’s there. I also know that he won’t be alone with it. He won’t know I’m there with him because we will never speak of it. But I will be there. He will not be alone with that.”

   

In fact, I’ve gone back to several anthologies and journals to read just endings, even those stories I’ve not read before, and I’m noticing how powerful imagery, gesture and metaphor can be when used effectively in a story.  Because when you reach “The End” of your own story or someone else's story, you see something that you’ve never quite noticed before. And perhaps you’ll be a better writer because of it. Check out the beginnings of these two stories in Entry #151 that I posted on my blog for May 31, 2013.  Then maybe you'll want to read both. 
Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - April 2013 - Pacific Ocean

About Jan Bowman
Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Entry # 156 - "Intentional Writing"

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - April 2013
Starting on July 1 – my intention is to write a complete new draft story with a beginning, middle and end each month. It doesn’t have to be finished or perfect, but it does need the structure of three basic parts. In particular, I intend to draw from many partially developed stories from my dream notebooks, and as I think about the beginning and ending, perhaps I will be able in the subsequent meditations to seek a way to organically end with an image or gesture that somehow touches upon the internal and external conflicts. I intend to dedicate at least 10 hours each week for the first draft.  So at the end of a month, what will a story look like after 40 hours?  I don’t know yet, but I am willing to explore this and report back.

At the end of the month, I hope to use the same process for the first round of revision. Then I plan to leave it for a while and let it cook slowly at low heat until it is ready for another round of revision or perhaps a peer review/feedback session with another trusted writer friend.  While that story is in the slow cooker, I intend to work on another one.
Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - October 2012
I hope to continue work on revising older stories at the intervals over each week when I am not working on the new story.  Yes. This is an ambitious plan and likely to unravel a bit – since life has a way of interrupting even the best of plans, but I intend to try.

“It is the time that you’ve wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”  from  The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery

About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

Friday, June 21, 2013

Entry # 155 - "When Lopate Went Camping with Emerson"


Photo Credit - Jan Bowman April 2013
Last week one of my self-assigned tasks was to go back and read through some of my journal entries over the past year, a process that allowed me to see my mind unpacking images for stories and exploring deeper possibilities in some of my work under revision.  
 My journal is an important part of my writing process and I often begin a story based on dreams and notes recorded in journals.  As a result of that process, I picked up the new paperback of Phillip Lopate’s book “To Show and To Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction" and read an essay, “How I Became an Emersonian” in which Lopate explores the power of journals to capture and nurture the evolutionary process of a writer’s growth.

Lopate says he “camped out in the mind of Ralph Waldo Emerson” by reading the two-volume, 1800 pages from Emerson’s Selected Journals. He says “Emerson began keeping the journals as an eighteen-year-old college student, and over the next fifty-seven years filled over 182 volumes.”

In fact, Lopate says, “In Emerson’s journals you see how gradually, hesitantly, incrementally his belief system accrued over decades, though testing hunches and questioning himself. …To oversimplify, the journals show his vulnerable side.” Lopate notes that “Emerson’s essays are dense with thought, requiring full attention every second, like a cliff face, they make purchase difficult. The notebooks are more appealingly relaxed.”


Although Emerson prided himself on his adherence to moderation, he wrote, “Very hard it is to keep the middle point. It is a very narrow line…and between narrow walls we walk –insanity on one side, and fat dullness on the other.”

Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - September 2012

Lopate writes, “…any attempt to negotiate Emerson’s essays reminds me of his journal comment,  ‘I found when I had finished my new lecture that it was a very good house, only the architect had unfortunately omitted the stairs.’ In that one sentence we hear the humor, self-deprecating awareness, and personal voice of the journals.”


I am reminded that Emerson wrote, “Nothing is accomplished without enthusiasm.”  So having been somewhat inspired by my journal entries and this essay, I will dig into major revisions on two pesky stories in need of thoughtful fine tuning, while reminding myself that writing is rewriting and it is a messy business.  So I went sailing in Annapolis on Thursday because I needed extra enthusiasm to tackle those revisions. And yes. That is the Bay Bridge. Cool!
Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - Annapolis - June 20, 2013
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About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Entry # 154 - "Workshops & Feedback"

St. Michaels - June 16, 2013 - Photo by Jan Bowman

Having just returned from yet another summer writers’ workshop, I have thought about my own experiences in a range of workshops over the past few years. I find that most reviewers are kind, thoughtful and helpful.  A good reviewer does not attempt to make the author’s work his story, but rather, respects the vision the writer has for his or her story. 

But after a workshop, one of a writer’s most challenging tasks is to know what to use and what to ignore from a writer’s workshop peer review, for not all writers are our peers.  Some are at early stages of their development and might not have the insights of those who have spent more time and energy getting in touch with the process.

If one has suitable peers who read carefully and offer thoughtful reactions to a piece of writing, then much good can come of having skilled peers offer insights. So what are some traits of a good workshop reader?  My friend, Daniel Mueller, writer and teacher, suggests these steps as part of his review process. He says...

Sunset at St. Michaels - June 16, 2013 by Jan Bowman
It is helpful to read the work thoughtfully and then give it a little time before you read it a second time, because this allows you to reflect and offer clearer insights. Then analyze the work on three levels:  structure, character(s) and the idea or theme, and the language used to achieve an overall effect. And during the actual workshop discussions think about the work in terms of how it works - with specifics. What works for you as a reader? And what confused you as a reader? This is not a time to tell the writer how to “fix” the work.  That is the writer’s job and any changes a writer makes must accommodate the vision of that writer. 

About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or
visit blog:  http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com



Thursday, June 13, 2013

Entry # 153 - "To Dream; To Yearn; To Know"


Robert Olen Butler’s book, From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction, edited with an introduction by Janet Burroway, is a must read for any aspiring fiction writer.

I had the good fortune to have a class with Butler at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival the year in which he won a Pulitzer Prize for his fiction collection, A Good Scent From A Strange Mountain, and he was beginning to explore the power of yearning in fiction.


Burroway says that Butler’s “self declared obsessions have to do with the descent into the dream space of the unconscious, in order to discover the yearning at the center of every person, and therefore every character, and with the moment-to-moment sensual experiencing of that character’s story.”


Burroway summarizes it as,  “He (Butler) proposes fiction as the exploration of the human condition and yearning as its compass. …He conducts and suggests exercises to achieve the DREAMSPACE and he offers insights into the nature of voice. Butler is most eloquent in his discussions on fiction when he describes it as “cinema of the mind,” to be experienced by the reader (and the writer) as a sensed series of takes and scenes. Which is to say – the fiction writer as filmmaker provides a different mental and emotional process. And he has devised a system whereby revision is undertaken at the level of structure rather than sentence.”


Butler himself says, “Please get out of the habit of saying that you’ve got an idea for a short story.  Art does not come from ideas. Art does not come from the mind. Art comes from the place where you dream. Art comes from your unconscious; it comes from the white-hot center of you.” (Burroway’s Introduction.)


So go and dream your stories and write them down in the “white-hot center” of your vision of the deepest yearning of flawed people.
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Photo Credit - Jan Bowman - April 2013 "Mid-Pacific"
About Jan Bowman 
Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at www.janbowmanwriter.com or

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Entry # 152 - WRITERS TALK - Interview with Lissa Brown, author of "Another F-Word"


Jan:    Thank you for the interview, Lissa. Let’s start by talking about your newest book, Another F-Word.  Barb Silvey, Gay-Straight Alliance Advisor of Spokane said after reading your novel, Another F-Word, “We are friends. We are family; but we cannot understand what our LGBTQ students go through.” She says that your book is a ‘must read’ and that it “opens this world so that we all can start to understand the terrible turmoil at school, with family and friends, and in the inner life of teens who are LGBTQ.”  And she goes on to say, “We cannot be allies for those we don’t understand.”  What led you to write this book?
Lissa: Since you mention Barb Silvey, I must tell you that one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had since publishing Another F-Word was viewing a video of her GSA kids reacting to my book. Those kids touched my heart.
A couple of events led me to write the book. During 2012, NC went through a messy campaign with hate speech flowing from many churches as they tried to rally support to pass a constitutional amendment outlawing recognition of any couple except a married man and woman. The amendment passed overwhelmingly, and I couldn’t help imagining how young LGBT kids or those who were questioning their sexuality must have felt to see such horrible bigotry come from people who were supposed to nurture their spirituality. 
The second event was the immediate catalyst. As I drove home from town one day, I read a bumper sticker on a truck in front of me that said, “Santa Hates Jewish Kids.” I honestly don’t know if I was more shocked or angry, probably a combination of both. For days I stewed about how some adults can do such harmful things to kids, some deliberately, and others out of sheer ignorance and insensitivity. I turned my feelings into the start of a book that would illustrate how it happens and the effects it has on kids and the people around them.
Jan:   Your book portrays the real and often terrible challenges that a gay boy, Rory faces as he grows up, is bullied by his peers, and rejected by his father. The realistic portrayal feels honest and yet it is a painful journey that you’ve managed to explore with compassion. For whom is this book intended and who do you see as benefiting most from reading this novel?
Lissa: The target audiences for this book are adults and teens. Parents who are wrestling with the reality of having a LGBT child can learn they are not alone. Kids who are bullied will realize that there are people who will be their allies and love them no matter what. Educators will see themselves in some of the characters and perhaps become more sensitive to the environment they create in schools. All readers will learn that the consequences of bullying to victims and bullies are very serious.
Jan:    Would you describe this novel as a “coming of age” novel? But it seems to be something more, is it?  And if so, how is it different?
Lissa: This is more than a coming-of-age story. Rory’s is not the typical story, fortunately. He does represent a group of kids who often struggle just to get through their days and nights. He’s a gentle boy but has a large reserve of inner strength. I couldn’t resist the urge to teach some important lessons with this book. Old habits die hard. I’m a former teacher. The story examines the behavior of adults as much as the boy’s and that’s what makes it different from the usual coming-of-age novel.
Jan:    Your book has a surprising conclusion. Did you explore alternative endings prior to publication?  And how did you come to such a compassionate conclusion?
Lissa: I wrote this story three times, each time coming to a different conclusion. Honestly, I was also surprised by the ending. I finally stopped struggling and allowed the characters to tell me how to end it.
Jan:   You have captured much of the inner conflict that gay teens, particularly boys, face in this book. I wondered how different and how similar do you see this experience for teen girls?
Lissa: In some ways, girls struggle with more serious issues than boys during adolescence, but when we’re speaking about LGBT kids, research shows and my observations agree that boys have a more difficult time. They are bullied more often, and if their behavior is gender non-conforming, the bullying is often expressed physically. Perhaps because ill-informed adults are still inclined to think that physical assaults are part of normal adolescence for boys, it is still overlooked. Girls who are ‘tomboys’ are accepted far more easily than boys who exhibit effeminate behavior or dislike sports.
Jan:    Your book examines the efforts of a mother trying to understand, and a father who refuses to accept his son’s differences. What do you hope the parents of a gay teen – whether of a son or a daughter – will discover and take away from reading your book?
Lissa:    First, I hope they realize that they are not alone. PFLAG and other groups provide excellent support and direction. As a parent of a LGBT child, if that adult has difficulty accepting the child as they are, I hope they will examine seriously the reasons for their attitude. Seeking professional help is a great way to start. It is often the case that rabidly homophobic people have some unresolved issues of their own that cause them to feel threatened by LGBT people. That is particularly true with parents since it is known that genetics play a role in determining a person’s sexuality. Further, if a parent believes they accept their LGBT child yet, are uncomfortable about other family and friends finding out, I suggest they have not truly achieved acceptance. It can be a lengthy process. 
Jan:    What are some of the aspects of the inner and outer struggle that teens face as they attempt to recognize and keep their own self worth intact? 
Lissa: Teens do not like to be seen as different. LGBT teens must come to an understanding that we are not all alike. Yes, they can dress like other teens, worship with them, attend school together, but a LGBT kid is different. Ninety percent of teens are heterosexual, so that’s a reality they need to accept. They need to be reassured by family and friends that they are valued and loved, despite being different. Learning about LGBT people who lead successful and fulfilling lives is important and having adult role models in their immediate environment is critical. Living in a state like Maryland that walks the talk can be very reaffirming for them. Finally, if bullied, they need to learn to become assertive and not allow others to perceive them as willing victims. Parents and professionals can assist with that.
Jan:    Can you speak about the impact of pervasive rejection and the self-destructive impulses teens in such a situation face?
Lissa: The alarming suicide rate among LGBT teens is the ultimate example of where it leads. The Trevor Project reported that in 2012 its hotline received calls from 30,000 kids, many of whom were considering suicide. Ten percent or 3,000 of the calls came from NC kids. It doesn’t take a statistics whiz to see that the negative impact of the campaign to amend the state constitution was serious. Adolescence is difficult at best. When you throw in rejection by parents, peers and institutions, it takes a pretty strong support network to deliver the message that life is worth living and that it does get better for most LGBT people as they age. The kids who lack that support end up as suicide statistics.
Jan:    The book realistically reveals the struggles from a boy’s perspective as he deals with a rejecting parent and bullying from peers. What have you discovered in your own perceptions of the difficulty of “growing up gay” in America? Are teens living in some places more vulnerable to abuse? And why do you think this is so?
Lissa:  GLSEN conducted a study comparing LGBT kids in urban, suburban and rural areas. Kids living in small towns and rural areas are more likely to encounter every form of bullying. Kids in the southeastern part of the country report a higher incidence of harassment and a lower degree of adult willingness to address the problem. I think the influence of conservative religious institutions plays a strong role. Areas where the level of education is lower seem to be harder places for these kids. As a result of fewer people being willing to come out as LGBT, the kids don’t have role models and some feel very isolated. Until we have federal legislation protecting LGBT people in the workplace, the people who could be most helpful to kids in rural areas cannot come out.
Jan:    Over the past twenty years, indeed over the last ten years, I have observed, as a teacher and mentor for teens, a major shift in my own state of Maryland, in how accepting teens are toward students who “come out” to their peers. What do you think has helped bring about these changes?
Lissa:  If you look at the differences within Maryland of support for the recent same-sex marriage law, demographics tell a large part of the story. Where you have stronger local laws guaranteeing job protection, you find higher levels of education and more openness by LGBT people to come out. In parts of the state like Montgomery and Howard Counties that have made it very clear that homophobia will not be tolerated in the schools, teens are learning to be more accepting of LGBT peers. Politics plays a role in this. Look at the parts of the state where the Democratic voters are in the majority. Many of those areas, with the notable exception of Prince George’s County, send affirming signals to youngsters about treatment of LGBT people. Even Anne Arundel County, which has not been a bastion of tolerance, has large numbers of residents whose jobs are related to Fort Meade. The elimination of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has had an impact there. When teens live in a state that will not allow discrimination in employment, housing and education, they receive a very clear message about LGBT people.
Jan:    And yet, students are still bullied, teased by family and friends, and rejected by parents.  Many of our homeless youth have been “kicked” out of their homes when they came out. What more can communities, parents, and schools, do to help protect young people who are GLBTQ?
Lissa: The latest figures I saw said that somewhere between 30-40% of homeless youth are LGBT. You’re right. Many have been ejected from their homes by hateful parents.
I believe every public school should have a Gay-Straight Alliance or similar group that is openly and vigorously supported and promoted by the school administration, staff and faculty. Every public institution should state clearly and openly that discrimination will not be tolerated and education about the language we use and the standards we employ to determine each person’s value should be examined for the effect they have on LGBT kids.
Kids need to be taught to speak up when they experience negative behavior based on their orientation and parents need to be relentless when dealing with school administrators who lack energy in dealing positively with the environment they create for kids.
Jan:    Thanks for the interview. How can people contact you and obtain a copy of your book?
Lissa: Thank you for the opportunity to speak about my passion, Jan.  I have been devoting most of my time to speaking to groups about the bullying of LGBT kids and ask only that my expenses be covered if I travel more than 50 miles from my home. I’d love to talk with groups in Maryland. Another F-Word is available on Amazon.com as an ebook and in paperback format. People can contact me through my website, www.lissabrownwrites.com  

Each of Lissa Brown’s careers has contributed to her current one, full-time author. She gained insight into adolescent behavior as a high school teacher and honed her writing skills and sense of the absurd during award-winning careers in marketing and public relations. She’s been a media consultant to gubernatorial and legislative campaigns, a columnist, and speechwriter for public officials and corporate executives. She is the author of a humorous memoir, a young adult novel and several published articles and essays.  Another F-Word is her latest novel. www.lissabrownwrites.com 
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About Jan Bowman

Jan Bowman’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others. Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, her stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award and a recent story was a finalist in the 2013 Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction publications in Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at her website:   www.janbowmanwriter.com or
visit her blog:  http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com