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 The Writer's E-Zine

 

 Produced and published by the members of Writers' Village University since 1998    ISSN 1521-2639       
20 November 2008
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Craft of Writing

Suzan L. Wiener

Target Your Audience

And Make More Sales

Have you ever wondered how some writers get editors to give their queries the go-ahead and have their articles accepted over and over while others just flounder in a hit or miss effort? It isn’t just a fluke when a writer gets an acceptance so easily. What is the secret? Know how to target your audience, and know exactly who you are writing for. Once you do that, you will increase your sales dramatically. In fact, editors will be calling you. Of course, it won’t work every time, but it does work quite often.

In other words, it is important to research your markets. Whatever publication you want to write for, don’t do it blindly. Instead, invest in copies of the magazine you want to write for. Do your homework. That is the key to a successful article. I can’t stress researching your targeted publication enough.

If you want to write an article for Seventeen magazine and really don’t have a clue as to what the magazine is about, you will almost automatically get a rejection on your piece. Sending in a submission suitable for people in the 40-50 age range when the magazine’s focus is on teens will not get you that most wanted acceptance letter no matter how well your article is written. If you do not know what Seventeen is about, buy several current issues, not old ones. This applies to all publications you are interested in writing for. Editors often change their minds about what they want in their magazine, so you have to keep up with it.

Are you considering writing for the children’s market? Then definitely get to know children. If you don’t have your own, talk to your neighbor’s children and observe how they react with each other. And, it would help to really like them and not talk down to them. Children know when an adult doesn’t respect them. You have to get into their ‘skin’ in every instance when you are sending in submissions. Children are extremely honest. You will be surprised at how they respond to you and others around them. See how they interact with their own peers. It is fun and entertaining.

For an example, here is an accepted submitted children’s anecdote to Woman’s World in their ‘Last Laugh!’ It read:

“I recently lost weight and was shopping for new clothes with my seven-year-old granddaughter, Elizabeth. I told her that I needed a new wardrobe because I had just lost l0 pounds. Elizabeth became concerned and said, “Don’t worry, Grandma. Maybe we can find them in the Lost and Found Department.”

Had I sent an anecdote not involving a child, they wouldn’t have bought it no matter how cute it was. They pay $50, and that isn’t bad for only fifteen minutes worth of work. But, you have to get into writing op-eds, essays, etc., if you want to significantly increase your bank account, not to mention your accomplishments as a writer.

Here are the tips I follow to help me break into a publication and have a better shot at it.

  • Know the publication backwards and forwards. Make sure they haven’t done the article recently. Editors can’t put a similar article in even if they like it a lot. Don’t be afraid to stretch your imagination.


  • Network with other writers to get ideas and find out what is going on in the writing world. Even if you haven’t done that a lot, it is a good idea to start. Never be shy when it comes to finding out information that will be invaluable to you. Website forums are a rich source of potential markets.


  • Have confidence in yourself as a writer. Hit the big markets like Ladies’ Home Journal, Elle, Glamour. Remember all they can say is no. If one editor doesn’t like it, perhaps another will.


  • Strive to give the editor something different that will make him or her sit up and take notice. Make your query/submission an eye-opener; the editor will have to buy it.


  • Pretend you actually have an assignment already, and work as though you are doing it as an employee in their company. This will give you more of an edge than someone who is writing an article without any target at all.


  • Don’t just send in one article, try sending in submissions to various publications so you will have a much better chance of getting that most-wanted acceptance. You won’t spend time worrying about one article since you will be writing a lot.


  • Sometimes a miss can be caused by something as simple as not writing to the reader’s technical level. If readers are all experts in a particular field, a beginner’s basics article wouldn’t be a good fit. Nor would a highly technical article rate very high with editors of a publication aimed at novices.


  • If you have a particular subject in mind, a query to the editor should provide feedback to let you know if the topic has been overdone or, conversely, if there are angles the editor would like to see covered.


  • When choosing a target, it’s always easier to write about subjects with which you are familiar, although there is nothing to stop you from trying something new, provided you are willing to put in the research time to garner the information you will need to produce an authoritative article. Nothing will turn an editor off faster than a writer who presents an article which contains facts that are known to be wrong or ideas that are misconstrued due to inadequate or faulty research.


  • Learn the language; most subjects have key phrases that all readers understand. Look for them during your research. Using them correctly will help make you part of the “in” crowd in an editor’s mind rather than just someone trying to “push” an article.
By targeting your potential audience, you should be much more successful in your desire to be a full-time writer. Above all, never give up.


About the Author
Suzan L. Wiener has had numerous stories, poems, articles and shorter pieces published in such publications as Canadian Writer's Journal, Verses, Poetry Press (first prize), MetroSeven (Australia), etc. She is also submitting her love poetry collection for publication.


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Craft of Writing

Mridu Khullar

Tips from the Procrastination Princess

You may not believe this when I tell you that I’ve published a book. Or after you find out that I’ve written over a hundred articles, am working on a dozen or so others and often get repeat assignments from editors I’ve worked with. But the truth is—I’m a procrastinator.

Deadlines give me a certain kind of thrill, much like the kind you get after you’ve lived on chocolate for a week. And I’m not half as bothered about these deadlines until it’s the day before the assignment is due and I have yet to find interview sources. That’s when I freak out, glue my butt to the chair and somehow manage to pull off a minor miracle and get the work done.
 
But I know, just as you know by now, that it’s only a matter of time before I’m going to miss an important deadline and hurt my chances of landing something big. So I’ve turned my work habits around and managed to make the transformation from Procrastination Princess to Deadline Diva. Try these tips; you just might find yourself achieving more, too.
  
Create a Productive Environment
Sure, it’s easy for me to say. I don’t have three kids running around in front of me, while the cartoon music blares in the background and every hope of my sanity ever returning grows dimmer and dimmer. But like it or not, that’s exactly the kind of atmosphere that causes procrastination. If it’s the disorganized mess that’s keeping you from work, take a day off and clean it up. If your kids take up most of your time, hire a sitter for two hours a week and use that time to tackle difficult projects. If you’re bored of your environment and need a change of pace, head off to the local coffee shop or library.
 
Set Your Own Deadlines
For every single task that you’re supposed to finish in a given week, fix specific deadlines. So if you’re supposed to write a press release for your book, give yourself a due date and then when that deadline arrives, make sure your work is done. Similarly, slide deadlines to a few days in advance of the actual deadline when the work is to be submitted to others. If an editor has asked you to send something in by the 10th, mark it on your calendar as due by the 7th. That way, when you finally freak out on the 5th and realize that you’ve goofed up again, you’ll still have sufficient time to do the job well. (This will NOT work for book-length projects!)

Break it Up
Whenever you get an assignment, break it up into mini-tasks. Now give each of those mini-tasks deadlines. This technique comes in very handy when you’re working on longer projects like books, but can also be used for articles and essays. For instance, when I get a go-ahead on an article idea from an editor, I’ll assign specific dates by when I should have completed my research, interviewed experts and written the first draft. That not only give me enough time to get the project done to my satisfaction but also makes for less hectic schedules.

Give Yourself Permission to be Imperfect
Ever found yourself in “the mode” when your brainwaves are working faster than your fingers can type and your muse is producing work that you never thought yourself capable of? It’s fantastic when that happens. It feels like magic and great words come with seemingly less effort. It’s a good state to be in. The problem is, many writers keep waiting for the muse to strike again and end up not forcing themselves to write in the process. End result: procrastination.

As a professional writer, you need to understand that writing isn’t always so easy. Perfect prose doesn’t just come in one sitting—it needs to be worked upon day after day. Good writers aren’t people who wrote perfect first drafts; they’re people who polished their writing again and again. So don’t get defeated by a bad first draft. Instead, make it your aim to produce as much as possible. You can always edit it later. That’s what the revision process is for.

Taking up Too Much or Too Little
It’s easy to get uninspired when you have little work coming in and no money in the bank. The opposite however, is more frequently the case. Since writing doesn’t exactly pay great money, especially in the beginning, most writers take on more than they can handle. And procrastination will often set in when you have so much to do that you don’t even know where to start! The solution to this is simple though. Make a list of things you need to do in order of priority and start working on that list one by one. When you get bored or need a break from this priority work, pick up something enjoyable to do and work on that for a few minutes. Once you’re back to being inspired, it’s back to the priority list.
 
Go on a Writing Date
You know how there’s always something that has to be done at a certain time each week (like watching American Idol)? If you miss it, well, there’s no going back. Set a similar date for writing. Each week on Thursday from 5-6 p.m. you have to write. Everything else needs to wait. Start off slow with once a week, and then increase the intensity to at least once a day. That way, whether or not you like it, you’ll be forced to work on the projects that need attention.
 
Face Your Fears
The number one factor that makes people, especially writers, stall on pending projects is fear. But finding that fear and facing it can do wonders for your productivity and your professional life. So what’s holding you back? Are you afraid of failing? Of succeeding? Of being judged? Of writing a book and then having to do book signings? Of having an editor say that your manuscript is laughable? Most of the times, these fears are just rooted in insecurity. So find out what’s paralyzing you and then do it. There’s nothing better than facing the fear to get rid of it.
 
Get a Goal Buddy
Nothing makes me work harder than the fact that I have a goal buddy to report to each week. Knowing that I don’t want to look like a doofus in front of her by having to admit that I’ve done nothing substantial with my work time gets me working extra hard (especially on that last day before I’m supposed to send in my weekly report). Sure, I can keep making excuses to myself, but she’s a little harder to convince.

Focus on the Positives
The reason you may be procrastinating is that the particular assignment you’re working on is something you’re hardly interested in, but were forced to take up due to monetary reasons, lack of work, or whatever. The thing is, now you’re supposed to do it, and you don’t want to. So what do you do? Bite the bullet, honey. Such is the freelancing life. Sometimes, you do need to take up projects that don’t satisfy the soul, but put money in the bank. Until you can afford to not take up projects that you don’t like, just do it. Look at it this way—the sooner you’re finished with the assignments that put food on the table, the sooner you’re free to pursue the writing that you love.
 
Make a Freelance Journal
This is by far the most effective technique that I’ve used in my entire freelancing career. It takes care of the three most important things that may be holding you back—goal-setting, accountability and measuring productivity. Every day, while I’m working, I’ll keep my journal open and note down whatever I’m doing that day. Sure, I vent and express frustration when I’ve received a rejection or feel low, but I also record what I’m working on, which editor wrote back to me, things I was supposed to do that day and didn’t do, etc. At the end of each day or each week, I look back at the journal to see how much I’ve achieved each day. Trust me—it can be an eye-opener!
 
Do this for at least fifteen days to be able to figure out where all your time is going, which projects are being put on the back-burner and where your focus is. You’ll easily be able to see what projects you’re avoiding and why!
  
Use these tips and soon you’ll find yourself on a procrastination-free writing road, too.

Good Luck!


About the Author
Mridu Khullar is the author of "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," and is offering a FREE 12-day e-course on writing queries. Sign up at http://www.writerscrossing.com/ecourses.html


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Craft of Writing

Donna Sundblad

Warning Flags – Words to Use with Caution

In my late 30’s I fulfilled a lifelong dream. I signed up for piano lessons. Friends thought it amazing I’d take on this challenge "at my age." Schoolgirl butterflies stirred my excitement as I headed into the building for that first lesson. Little did I realize the amount of work it would take to play even a simple tune. At times, songs I practiced sounded good until my teacher pointed out that the timing was off, or I’d forgotten to play a sharp or a flat.

Writing is no different. The same disciplines I learned playing piano helped me in my growth as a writer. Study, practice and the critiquing of others improved my work and instilled new skills. Feedback on story after story gradually taught me that passive verbiage lurked within my text. It bothered me that I didn’t see it on my own.

Mental Flags

As an editor, I see writers repeat the same mistakes I’ve made. It’s almost as if we go through stages of refinement on our rite of passage to publication. Today when passive words travel from my keyboard to my monitor, mental warning flags go up reminding me to use the word with caution. Many times I backspace, rewrite the sentence on the spot and eliminate the use of the weak word.

Years ago, when I wrote the rough draft of the first chapter of my novel The Inheritance, I painted verbal details that shined. I read it to my husband and a few close friends and they all agreed. However, when I put it out there for other writers to critique, I learned passive language riddled the chapter. I needed to show more and tell less.

I stared at the suggested changes. I thought I was showing. Instead, passive weak words transformed my vivid mental pictures into a duller telling version. This inability to see the difference propelled me to take an editing class.

To sharpen my passive/active recognition skills, I wrote a short story each week and participated in a writer’s study group that actively critiqued one another’s work. The process transformed my understanding of telling versus showing. The repetitive nature of this give-and-take process teaches and reinforces improvements to the writing process.

A Mental List

From my experience as a writer and editor, I’ve developed a mental list of what I call "Flag Words." Picture those little plastic flags the phone and electric company stick in the ground to mark underground cables. I mentally flagged recurring passive words. After repetitively correcting commonly used passive words in my own writing, and seeing others make the same mistakes, these words become indelibly etched in my mind.

During the writing process, passive words still come to mind, but the flag goes up. A possible problem lurks. To eliminate the trouble, I rewrite the sentence on the spot. I don’t catch 100% of the passive language while developing a first draft, but my writing has improved immensely through this process.

Many times flag words prove to be unnecessary. I’m not saying passive words should be eliminated in every instance. Instead take notice of them. Try to reword the sentence without them.

Passive Vs. Active

Don’t let this befuddle your thinking. It’s actually simple when you boil it down. The subject performs the action in sentences written in active voice. On the other hand, subjects in sentences written in passive voice receive the action expressed by the verb. One gives, the other receives.

Passive: The subject is acted upon.

Active:  The subject acts.

Use the list below to flag passive language in your writing. Locate the subject of the sentence and ask yourself. Does the subject act or is it acted upon? To change the sentence from passive to active, consider who or what is performing the action and change the verb accordingly.

Flag Words

This is not a comprehensive collection of passive words but rather a starter list. Print it out; post it near your computer. Become familiar with the flag words. Use them to identify the passive voice in your writing.

Start/Began/Then/There – We tend to use these words to move the action along, when in fact the action comes to life without them. Many times these lifeless words work like magnets collecting lazy words around them.

Passive: When I went back to start editing chapter one, I could see the telling language.

Active: When I edited chapter one the evident telling language came into focus.

In this first example the subject "I" went. Is this what the sentence is talking about? No, but rather it is about editing. In the active version of this sentence the subject "I" edited. Which paints a clearer picture?

Consider this example: He began to stutter. This tells us he began. Get rid of the passive began and rewrite it to read: "He stuttered." The action is clear.

Is/was/are/will be/has been/have been – I’m not suggesting you eliminate every instance of these weak verbs, but add them to your flag list. Many times you’ll find them worse than unnecessary. They tend to reroute the action down a detour of passivity. Eliminating them strengthens your meaning.

On a side note, let me tell you a trick I learned and unlearned. When I came to an understanding that the word "was" threw a bucket of cold water on my action, I tried to eradicate it. Many times I substituted the word "felt." I was sleepy; I felt sleepy. However, the passive "felt" is no better than "was." Instead of telling the reader I was or felt sleepy I needed to learn how to show it.

Passive:  The sentences are usually rewritten to eliminate them right on the spot.

Active: To eliminate the problem, I rewrite the sentence on the spot.

At this point turn your attention to the passive example above. "The" at the beginning of a sentence should raise another flag. Elimination of the word "are" also eradicated the unnecessary "The" and "usually." At times it’s necessary to use "The" at the beginning of a sentence to stress a specific noun, but flag and test it to see if the thought within the sentence is complete without it.

Noticed/Learned – You’ll usually find the use of these words before an action witnessed by the POV character. Telling the reader that the POV character noticed something does just that; it tells. Instead show us what the character sees.

Passive:  He noticed a young girl sitting in the shadows at the corner table.

Active:  He stepped into the smoky bar. A young girl sat in the shadows at the corner table.

Passive:  I’ve learned to use them like those little plastic flags the phone and electric company sticks in the ground to mark underground cables.

Active: Picture those little plastic flags the phone and electric company uses to mark underground cables. I mentally flag recurring passive words.

In either passive case the action is side railed. Is the sentence about noticing or learning? Strengthen your writing. Eliminate these words when used to move the story along.

Another word that falls within this set is allowed. If you say, "He allowed the boy to climb into the car," I can’t see much of the detail. Instead of saying the character allowed something, just show the action.

Could/Can – These harmless looking words also rob verbs of potential power.

Passive:  He could taste the ash in the air.

Active: He tasted the ash in the air.

Which one produces an image in your mind?

Seems/appeared/got – I’ve also highlighted the word then in the following example because as I mentioned above, writers commonly used it to move the action along, but it contributes nothing to the momentum. Instead it tends to dilute it.

Passive: Seems every week I think I'm going to cut back, but then by the time I'm done I've got this list.

Active: Every week I think I’m going to cut back, but by the time I’m done I’ve collected a new list of things to accomplish.

Eliminating ambiguous words forces action and detail into focus.

Made

I made the decision to be a writer.

I decided to write.

Have

Study, practice and allowing others to critique my work have helped me to get where I am today.

Study, practice and allowing others to critique my work helped me to get where I am today.

Both "made" and "have" in the above examples leech power from the action. Eliminate them and recharge your writing.

In Conclusion

Don’t let it get you down when you find these words littered throughout your writing. Instead, allow them to guide you. Learn to recognize tiny passive pitfalls, flag and correct them. It’s part of the rite of passage to publication.


About the Author
Author and freelance writer, Donna Sundblad, resides in Florida with her husband, Rick. Check ePress-online for details regarding her soon-to-be-published book, Pumping Your Muse. Donna co-owns and edits for Team Spirit Critique and Editing. For more information, visit her website at www.theinkslinger.net.


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Birdie's Quill

Birdie

Stepping Away From Overwhelmed

What kinds of things overwhelm you? As writers, the demands of life encroach on our time. Many writers work full time jobs, run households, volunteer to help other writers, schedule speaking engagements and yet seem to have time not only to complete verbal works of art, but get them published. How do they do it?

If you’ve lost the joy of writing and find yourself mired in a mess of self-imposed projects with little energy left to actually write, I’ve got good news for you. You can step away from overwhelmed. This article takes a look at steps to move you away from being snowed under and puts your muse on the path to the creative pleasure you once enjoyed.

Narrowing Your Focus – Recognizing Your Target

Imagine putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The box shows the image and indicates the number of pieces. After you dump all those pieces on the table, what do you do next? I pick out the end pieces, especially watching for the four corners. I put together the frame first. I’ll attach inner pieces depicting tidbits of clear detail if I come upon them, but I don’t try to fit together the less defined pieces until the framework is in place.

It’s no different juggling your schedule as a writer. You need a general plan. If you’re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, sit down and write out your answers to the prompts below.

  • What do I want to write? (List your projects and/or ideas.)
  • What are my strengths and weaknesses?
  • What’s keeping me from writing?
  • What steps can I take to reach my dream?
Thoughts become fragmented and discouraging when you feel overwhelmed. Scattered projects and responsibilities tug in a multitude of directions, draining you of your creativity. The first step to move away from this trap is to narrow your focus. Look for the end pieces, so to speak. Writers write. That’s your framework.

Think about it. When is the last time you wrote something new? Better yet, when’s the last time you completed a project?

Be Realistic

Stress can be good or bad. Good stress motivates. Bad stress works as a thief robbing us of our valuable time and energy. It tends to trick us into thinking we deserve to relax by spending time doing other things before we get started. Putting off doing what we know we should do produces more stress. It’s a downward spiral that leads to frustration and even depression. When it robs us of our creative writing time, it crosses the line. Check out what you do to relax. Many times it’s really procrastinating and adds stress to our lives.

Another stress generator is the comparison factor. Individual writers are motivated differently. It’s not a bad thing to learn from other writer’s techniques for staying on task, but be careful not to compare your progress based on their success. Implement what you learn, but make it your own. Life deals out different circumstances for each person. These unseen situations make a big difference. Keep your eyes on what you need to get done instead of what others accomplish.

Set realistic goals. Don’t burden yourself with too many goals. Remember you’re trying to relieve stress, not create it. Look back at the notes you made. What do you want to write? Use the fresh information to put together your plans. It works like connecting the end pieces of the puzzle. It gives you a framework to work within.

Strengths and Weaknesses

It’s vital to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. I’m a morning person, and I develop my writing schedule around this fact. If I squandered my morning hours, I wouldn’t accomplish my goals. When I slip into bed each night, I know what I’ll be working on in the morning. On the other hand, I use my evening hours for research, catching up correspondence, and reading previously written pieces from a fresh perspective.

Look at your list of strengths and weaknesses. Use this knowledge to your benefit. If you rarely find time to actually write, switch things around. Make it the first thing you do. Schedule fifteen or twenty minutes four or five days a week. It’s a start.

Make Changes

What things keep you from writing? Responsibilities fill our lives, but beyond that, what robs you of your time?

What do you do to relax? Read, watch television, shop, play computer games, go out to dinner? Such things offer diversions. None of these things are bad, but if overdone, these leisure activities actually increase stress. Why? You are a writer. Deep within you resides the need to write. When you bypass that need, it lingers unsatisfied. Walla! More stress.

So how do you break out of this cycle? One possibility is to join a writing group, or find an accountability partner. Knowing someone else expects to read what we’ve written can provide the push needed to put pen to paper. It also provides experience for working with deadlines.

Designate time to write. The old saying, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time,” applies here. Without a plan to write, dreams remain unfulfilled. Frustration and feelings of lagging behind creep up on you. To protect yourself, make a plan. Keep it flexible. My first such goal to write twenty minutes a day four days a week encouraged me to write more days than I missed. Once I established the habit, I wrote more often and for longer periods of time.

Develop new habits. Try writing for fifteen minutes before you open your e-mail or turn on the TV. Initiating changes like these promotes disciplined growth that becomes second nature.

Learn to say, “No.” It’s not always easy, but sometimes you’ll have to decline the opportunity to take on a new project or responsibility. In fact, you may have to eliminate something from your schedule. It’s easy to get in over your head. Don’t sink. If you are consistently overwhelmed, look over all the things clamoring for your time and eliminate something.

Pace Yourself

Be careful. Now that you have a plan and a list of projects and ideas, don’t overwhelm yourself with more tasks than you have time to accomplish. I’ve seen many a writer make grandiose lists of projects and expect to complete them all in a week. Break your projects down into smaller tasks. Spread your work out over the days, weeks or months necessary to finish. Manageable tasks lead to the completion of your goal. This is key to stepping away from overwhelmed.

Pick one task or idea to work on. Give yourself a deadline. If it’s a longer project such as a novel, allow enough time to complete the project but schedule a daily or weekly word count assignment. Make your progress measurable. This helps later when you may feel like you haven’t accomplished enough. Even if you write 1,000 words a week, you’ll have 4,000 words by the end of the month and 48,000 by the end of the year.

Have Fun But Stay Focused

Not every aspect of the writing life is fun. I enjoy the creative process. Getting the rough draft of a new story down on paper thrills me. While involved with editing, rewriting, promoting and other similar long-term projects, I challenge myself to write new shorter pieces to submit along the way. These creative endeavors inject my writing life with a dose of fun and nourishes my muse.

Enjoy writing, but stay focused. Maintain projects with deadlines at the top of your list of things to do, but keep your list of projects and ideas handy. When you’re feeling bogged down and overwhelmed, take a break and write for fun. Choose something from your list and give yourself a fifteen minute free-writing break.

Learn to use your strengths and weakness to your advantage and avoid making excuses. Look over the list of things that keep you from writing and eliminate what you can. Rearrange your schedule. Seriously consider the steps you jotted down to help reach your dream. Implement them.

When you take the time to arrange the pieces, a clear image emerges. It’s you, the writer who stepped away from overwhelmed.


About the Author
Author and freelance writer, Donna Sundblad, resides in Florida with her husband, Rick. Check ePress-online for details regarding her soon-to-be-published book, Pumping Your Muse. As an owner/editor of Team Spirit Critique and Editing, LLC, Donna helps other writers follow their dreams. Visit her website at www.theinkslinger.net for more information.


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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

Poetics The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Poetics

Tom Spencer

Point of View in Poetry

Like a quarter slug from a casino, I have returned. I am back at WVU, the poet’s touchstone, to ensure I am on the right course in my writing.

I have been limited in my writing for a goodly period of time for personal reasons. However; I have been reading extensively, visiting the old masters in prose and poetry. As I wandered through Plato’s Republic, in its presentation through Socrates’ dialogue, I wondered if his presentation could not have been presented better in poetic form.

I then reviewed the works of Shakespeare. They are written in what would be considered poetic prose. I believe they have lasted and impacted a greater audience because they created a much greater interest than Plato’s work. Both writers have a considerable understanding of humanity and its social foibles. Both writers have social statements to express.

What I see in the juxtaposition of Plato’s work to Shakespeare’s work is, as Robert Frost stated in Mending Walls, “good fences make good neighbors.” I believe what he is saying in this poem is ‘knowing both sides of a view is extremely important in life’ as it is in poetry.

I urge you, as a poet, to examine both sides of your theme in your work to insure you are not just pontificating as Plato did through his protagonist Socrates. Make your work express an opportunity for the reader of it to think and form his/her opinion. In this way you will make your work memorable.

Take a ride on a bus: listen to the passengers, observe the driver, observe the sounds around you, create a dialogue between the people you see and the environment they are in. Don’t write from your point of view. Become the driver and express his views on the passengers, the traffic, or the expected meal he will have when he returns home that evening. Step into the fear of the lady who is asking if she is on the right bus. Become the boy with the violin coming home from a lesson that has him perplexed. Poetry is about the world we live in. We need to write about that world to make our work last in the memories of our readers.

Write a poem in dialogue as an exercise. For example: Select a theme and present both sides of that theme in a poetic form.

The Wrong Step

Does this bus go as far as Lenox
        The engine roars its disapproval
No ma’am we only go to Congress
        The hiss of closing doors erupts
Let me know when we are near
        change is spinning in the box
that’s the end of the line lady
        A distant whistle, a call of “Taxi”
I must be on the wrong bus then
        a man in the front seat coughs
This is Congress Express ma’am
        The bus slows with a squeal of brakes
I wanted the Lexington Avenue
        There is a thump of opening doors
Catch the bus behind me lady
        The crowd is chattering loud
But I put my money in already
        A rustle then ripping of paper
Here’s a transfer ma’am
        Exhaust fumes permeate the air
Oh dear forgive me please
A poem written in this manner can have multiple meanings giving a greater impact on the audience. It doesn’t just say “I got on the wrong bus and the driver was rude,” it gives reasons and circumstances to be considered by the reader.



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Poetics Presents

R. K. Singh

R. K. Singh is an Indian English poet with 10 collections to his credit. Professionally he has been active as an ESPist, teaching English language skills to students of earth and mineral sciences and engineering for the last three decades. New Indian English Poetry: an Alternative Voice, a recently published reference book about Singh's poetry, contains 23 critical articles by different authors, six interviews he gave to certain scholars and poets, and 13 review essays, in addition to an introductory by the editor, I K Sharma.

HAIKU

Awaiting their turn
to feast on a dead dog
crows in a circle

Out of wood and stone
he carves his vision of peace:
night's secret visage

The sky couldn't retain
all of the moon now entering
my house through windows

In the well
studying her image
a woman

I see her smiling
with wind-chiselled breast
in sexless solitude

Two butterflies
racing with each other
perch on the wire

A butterfly rests
on the butterfly tattooed
on her sunning back

Fermenting spring
in the arms of lovers:
a secret sin

Splendid with the moon
night in silver peace dreams
thousand folds of light

Drunken with force
spreading the century's sore:
nine eleven

Seeking smell
in cactus flowers:
late monsoon

Her anger shifts
from manure to cell phone:
ten o' clock soap

Without washing hands
touches hibiscus for worship:
her frowning glance

Copyright 2005 © by R. K. Singh




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Fiction Short Story

by Judy Cabito

Ambition

Dahlia didn't stay around at the barb wire convention as long as Alicia and the other reps; they wouldn't miss Dahlia for hours. Angus Longhorn, owner of the largest manufacturer of barbwire, called. That's all Dahlia needed; a summons from the man, and she fled.

With blind arrogance, she drove her convertible Mustang above the speed limit down the highway. She'd be with Angus in two hours and all her hard work would be rewarded. She had pulled in the last dozen accounts like calves at slaughter. She was good, better than the other reps. She knew all the tricks and finally Angus noticed.

Last week she had worked the office party like a wrangler: smiling, laughing at all the dirty jokes, mixing and delivering drinks to all the cowboys whom counted. She roped three of the biggest stallions on Wall Street that evening alone. Her wild spirits soared so she let Angus cop a feel, maybe once, maybe twice.

She corralled Alicia and told her to find her own pasture saying, "It would be ambitious of you to think there was room for both of us."

Dahlia had stayed on to clean up and of course to give Angus a Dahlia-fix.

He said, "You'll go a long way, here, baby."

She laughed coyly, as she rode him like a prize bull. She knew how to lasso them, brand them and make them hers. He'd not forget her.

When the message arrived, "Mr. Angus Longhorn would like to see you in his office this morning, first thing," she busted out of the convention leaving all the potential studs behind. She didn't look back as she sped out of the parking lot.

She raced down the corridor to Angus's office like a roughrider spinning and twisting. The note on the locked door stopped her short, threw her to the ground and tethered her enthusiasm.

"Dahlia, sweetheart, you left the barn door open and everything behind. By the time you read this, all of the accounts will be eating sugar lumps out of my hand—including Angus.

Happy Trails to you, Alicia."


About the Author
Judy Cabito was born in Salem, Oregon, grew up just steps from the Puget Sound and currently lives in Long Beach, California. She calls herself a Westcoaster, if there is such a thing. She has been published in several fine online and print publications.


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Fiction Short Story

by Margaret Andrews

One Man's Trash

This downtown corner is my territory, but if I'm not there by the time the first commuter train comes by, Bernie thinks it's fair game. He doesn't understand it's a seniority thing. It's a spot far enough away from the coffee shop door so I don't bother people going inside, but it's close enough to let them know I'm there. I sit on two steps that lead to nowhere. The little awning above it provides shade when it's too hot and helps keep the rain off of me.

Tom Bailey buys me coffee every morning. He's a motormouth but he has a good heart. He runs the local Youth At Risk program down the street. A few weeks ago, Tom came over to me after I'd mumbled something about spare change. Not only do you have to be in the right place, you have to use an appropriate volume. That way, the people who don't want to hear you can ignore you with a clear conscience. I know what it's like to be in their place.

Tom shakes my hand, introduces himself and says "What's your name?" I can't remember the last time someone asked me that.

"Jack," I said.

"Well, Jack. I don't have any cash on me, but I'll buy you a cup of coffee and some breakfast with my credit card."

"Thanks. That's very generous of you." I think he was surprised I accepted his offer of food, considering that whole They'll-Just-Spend Money-On-Liquor attitude that seems to plague everyone.

"Well, come on then," he said.

I stay out of the store as much as possible. Otherwise, we're all uncomfortable. "How about I trust your judgment?" I say. "I ain't picky."

Tom brings out breakfast and sits down and talks to me like we're two regular guys jabbering before work. I'm sure I stink something awful, but he doesn't show it. I appreciated that.

Every morning after that he brings me a cup of coffee and we talk, so I make sure and wash my hands so he can shake a clean hand. He never wiped off his hands in my presence. Kinda nice, the thought of someone sparing your feelings like that.

Tom tells me about his family, shows me pictures. He has two little girls. He talks about his work like he can save the world. He says they have more kids on the program than they can afford to help. I don't have anything I'm proud to talk about and he doesn't ask. I can tell he's curious. We'll be talking about his family or something and it's that part of the conversation where the next logical thing for him to say would be, 'So what about you?' and I can see him almost say it, pause, and then say something like, 'Yeah, so.". Like I can jump right in if I want to, but to be honest, it's none of his business and I don't want to dredge up the past. Although, if I ever have a good mind to say something, it would be to Tom.

One afternoon, someone unintentionally hears me. I must have spoken too loud. He marches angrily toward me and tells me to get a job, I'm a leech on society, blah, blah, blah. As if I hadn't heard it before and his speech will make a difference. Maybe he was just showing off for his friends.

"You know what?" he said. "You can have everything in my pockets!" And he throws a smattering of stuff at me: papers, gum wrappers, and a couple of pennies. Tells me don't spend it all in one place.

I pick it all up. I may be a bum, but I like a clean sidewalk. Besides, some litter can be useful. One man's garbage is another man's treasure, right? Turns out this guy's trash is worth ten million dollars, after taxes. All due to a piece of paper with six numbers on it.

I tell the officials that I want to be anonymous. They say I can avoid media interviews, but that lottery results are public record, and they might still find me. I like my privacy and didn't want any attention, so I wait a while before making any big moves. I keep my post at the coffee shop, hang out with Tom Bailey, just sort of forget about the money for awhile. A few weeks later, there was a real big lottery and nobody was interested in finding out who I was anymore.

The first thing I buy is a new outfit at the thrift store; they wanted fifteen dollars! Then I go to a motel to shower and sleep. The mattress is so comfortable, I sleep all night and the next day. I put on my new clothes and go out for a proper dinner. Appetizers, salad, steak, dessert and lots of coffee. I must have asked for at least four refills. The waitress gives me some stern looks until she sees the tip I leave.

I do that for two weeks, but it gets kind of boring after awhile. Nobody to talk to. And to tell you the truth, I miss my steps. And maybe Tom Bailey. I pack my rucksack, another thrift store item for which I paid the princely sum of eight dollars, and decide to get some coffee and a raspberry scone like a real customer.

Bernie's on my turf. He's standing too close to the door, upsetting people. They don't need that kind of start to their day.

"What're you doing, Bernie? You're agitating everybody, man. You're in my spot. Go back to your own place."

"You left, Jack. I thought you died or somethin'."

"You wish. You've been coveting my concrete slab for months. Now, get."

"What do you care where you hang out? It don't make no difference who's here. We're all the same to them."

"No, they know me here. They trust me."

Bernie laughs and wheezes until he coughs. "Oh yeah, they know you," he says sarcastically. "No one would know if you kicked the bucket tomorrow."

"Jack!" Bernie and I turn to see Tom Bailey. "Where have you been? Boy, have I missed you. Let me run in and get you a cup of coffee. I'll be right back." He pointed at me. "Don't go anywhere."

Bernie whistles through his missing teeth. "Well, I'll be."

"Well, you go and be around the block. Time for you to move along now." I sit and think about how I, a rich man, can take a cup of coffee from a man who earns his keep. Tom comes out with a steaming cup of brew that a few minutes ago I had intended to buy for myself.

"So, did you go on vacation?" he jokes, hoping to get some peek at my personal life.

"Something like that. I didn't think anyone would notice, really."

"I noticed. I missed you, Jack. You probably have no idea that you are the highlight of my day."

I snort, but he looks sincere. "Serious?" I ask.

"It's hard to explain, but starting the day doing something nice for someone, for the price of a cup of coffee. I don't know. I just missed you. Welcome back." And he hugged me.

A week later, Tom sits down next to me on my roost. "Great news, Jack!" he says. Our Youth At Risk program will be expanding to help every kid that comes in until I don't know when! A long time! I just can't believe it. Some anonymous donor gave us nearly ten million dollars. Jack, this changes everything. Do you have any idea what impact this has on the children of this community?"

"That is good news," I say.

"Someone did a very generous thing, Jack. I only wish I could I could thank him personally."

I take a long contemplative breath. "You know, I was married once."


About the Author
Margaret Andrews is a computer programmer slash writer who rides the Southwest Airlines fence between Los Angeles and Sacramento. Her short stories have appeared in Toasted Cheese, Long Story Short and The Glut. She recently placed in an Elk Grove Public Library Short Story Contest and won honorable mention in the Writer's Digest Short Story Contest. She is currently working on her first novel, A Slice of Heaven. The inspiration behind "One Man's Trash" came from a situation where her husband offered to buy a homeless man a meal with his credit card because he didn't have any cash on him, and the homeless man felt uncomfortable going into the café.


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Fiction Short Story

by Wayne Scheer

Selecting the Right Wine

Whenever Phyllis brought up the idea of attending a wine tasting, Ben had a standard response: "I'd rather drink than taste." The more Ben resisted, the more Phyllis persisted.

"I'm just curious, is all," she said. "Let's try it. It'll be fun. You'll see."

Ben had been married long enough to appreciate the inevitability of attending a wine tasting soon.  Still, he tried getting as much mileage as he could out of his barbarian role before giving in. He had learned that if he yielded too soon, there was nothing to be gained. But if he presented the proper amount of resistance (just enough to show his reluctance, while not stepping over the line into obnoxiousness), he would get a chance to play the loving husband, sacrificing for his wife. He could then cash in at a later date. He didn't really care one way or the other about the wine tasting, but he might get the movie of his choice next time they were at Blockbuster.

After thirty years of marriage, Ben understood the fine art of the deal.

"Okay," he said the next day. "I know you want to go to the wine tasting. Didn't I see Angelo's advertising the wines of Northern Italy this Thursday? Let's go. And afterwards we'll eat dinner there."

"You are the sweetest man," Phyllis draped her arms around his neck and hugged him gently.

"Do you want me to make reservations?" he asked, knowing that, too, would earn him extra points.

"No need." She smiled. "I already made them. They pour the first bottle promptly at six, they told me. We have dinner reservations for 7."

When they told the young woman at the door they had reservations for the wine tasting, she showed them to a room in the back of the restaurant. Eight tables set up with small plates containing crusts of bread, slivers of cheese and specks of berries welcomed them to the event.  The room was empty except for waiters and one other couple.

"For this we paid twenty bucks," Ben stage whispered. The hostess, smiled politely, and showed them to their table. The other couple, turning their heads to look over Ben and Phyllis, avoided any sign of polite smiles.

"Be good," Phyllis warned her husband.

Waiters arranged six empty wine glasses and a water glass at each setting.

"Maybe it won't be so bad after all," Ben said, rubbing his hands together.

At just a few minutes before six, people gathered, greeting each other like old friends. Phyllis smiled. "Isn't this nice? It's like taking a class that meets once a week and seeing old friends."

Ben calculated the price of tuition at twenty bucks a person per class. "I wonder if they arrange loans like they did at Paul and Cindy's colleges?"

Phyllis tried not to smile.

A balding man with a ponytail, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, a light brown sports jacket and well-pressed jeans, kissed and patted his way to the front of the room. The chatter hushed as if God, Himself, had come down from the mount.

"Tonight," he said, "we will taste the charming wines of Northern Italy, particularly the Piedmont region and the North Eastern Provinces."

"Ahhs" and "ohhs" passed through the room as if the participants were amazed at their good fortune for happening to be present on this evening. "What a surprise," Ben said. "Except it says that here on the program and it's been advertised all week." The man at the nearby table turned and glared at him.  Embarrassment heated his face.

Mr. Pony Tail detailed the climate and soil conditions of the Piedmont region, explaining that the environment was perfect for Dolcetto, "Italy's answer to Beaujolais."

"When do we start drinking?" Ben whispered.

Phyllis shot him the look she had perfected after twenty-six years of teaching elementary school.  He immediately lowered his eyes and checked his zipper.

I'm pushing it too hard, Ben thought. Time to dial back. Say something positive.

After more lecturing about the state of the grape, the waiters began pouring.

"Ah, that's more like it."

He tried hard to keep the smile on his face as he saw how small a portion graced his glass.  He decided to hold his tongue. At least there was enough for a swig.

Ben looked around and watched as the couple across from him sniffed, sipped and sloshed the wine from cheek to cheek. He heard the man describe the wine as "fruity, but graceful." The woman complained it was a bit "plummy."

"Oh, for crying out loud."  Ben tossed back the small amount of wine in a single swallow. "Not bad."

Phyllis said she preferred a dryer wine, but was glad to have tried this one. She turned to Ben and winked. "It is, after all, Italy's answer to the Beaujolais."

Ben smiled.

"You're starting to rub off on me," she said.

"I love it when you talk dirty," Ben said, popping berries into his mouth like they were peanuts.

After experiencing a "non-assertive but far from passive" Merlot and a couple of wines whose names escaped him, one of which reminded him of cough medicine, Mr. Pony Tail assured them they were now in for a special treat. "We have an excellent Borolo for your tasting pleasure."

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Ben said to Phyllis, adding, "What the hell is a Barolo?"

"Barolo and Barberesco are, of course, the most famous reds of the Piedmont region."

"Damn commies," Ben said. "The Sacco and Venzetti of wines."

This time Phyllis laughed, dribbling the water she had been sipping.

The man sitting nearby increased his glare to a glower. His wife uttered a barely audible "hmmph."

Ben saw Phyllis's face redden. Afraid he might have gone too far, he took her hand.

"It's okay," Phyllis said loud enough for the couple to hear. "That was funny."

The crowd "cleansed their palates" in anticipation of the pouring of the Barolo. Ben had already eaten his allotment of food. A waiter filled his water glass.

But the bottles of Barolo remained unpoured as Mr. Pony Tail shared an involved history of the Nebbiolo grape with his attentive audience. Ben watched as a number of people took notes.

"Will this be on the test?" he asked.

"Not as funny as the Sacco and Venzetti line," Phyllis said. "But if we don't get some food into us soon, I'm going to eat this tablecloth."

Finally, the waiters poured the Barolo.

Ben drank it without fanfare. "Mmm, this is good."

Phyllis agreed.

"Dry, but not arid," said the man across from Ben and Phyllis.

"This one is dry enough to suck the spit right out of you," Ben declared, as the sippers sniffed and sloshed. "I bet this would go well with a pork chop, maybe lamb."

"You talked me into it," she said, grabbing her purse. "It's getting rather stuffy in here."

As they stood, Ben reminded her there was still more wine to be tasted.

"Wine," she said, "is like men. Once you select the right one, there's no reason to keep looking."

Ben wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they made their way out the back room and into the restaurant. He looked back at the wine tasters and wondered if they were staring at him with envy. Of course, it could have been the wine. After all, Mr. Pony Tail assured them they would be "absolutely charmed" by the Gavi.


About the Author
After teaching writing and literature in college for twenty-five years, Wayne Scheer retired to follow his own advice and write.  His work has appeared in The Pedestal, Laughter Loaf, Dana Literary Society Online Journal, Flashquake and Cynic Magazine.  His writing awards include a Pushcart Prize nomination.  Wayne lives in Atlanta with his wife. He can be contacted at wvscheer@aol.com.


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Fiction Short Story

by William G. Alikakos

Thank You Elias

My name is Plato Pappas and I work for the mob. I'm sitting in the office of RICO, a ritzy Brooklyn restaurant and backroom casino. Spiro Decas is my boss, he operates RICO for Capo Cassius, and I'm his errand boy. I do anything he tells me to do from A to Z. Today, it's H for hit.

The hit is on Elias Tellonus, a restaurant owner and my second cousin. We're best friends and I've been getting him out of jams since forever, but I don't know if I can get him out of this one.

He called me up and told me in his whining I'm in a jam voice, "Capo has a contract on me."

"Why?"

"I owe Sharkey money."

"Capo wouldn't order a hit for that. What did you do?"

"I can't talk about it over the phone. Can I see you at 'The Place'?

"10 o'clock tonight?"

He said, "OK" and hung up.

As usual I'm fifteen minutes early and he'll be fifteen minutes late. I'm carrying heat. It's a stub-nosed, high-velocity .22 caliber pistol with a silencer. The Place is a bench in Fort Hamilton Park and faces a long, wide barreled Civil War cannon.

The cannon takes me back to when Elias and I were both six years old. We lived in the same apartment house on 99th street next to the park and we walked to the park almost every day.  We were playing catch near the cannon. The sun was beginning to set and we had to be home before dark. Elias threw the ball to me, high and wide, and it went into the cannon's barrel. The barrel pointed slightly upward and was too high for us to look into. I shimmied up and looked down the barrel but it was too dark to see the end. I told Elias I would boost him so he could crawl into the cannon to get the ball. He told me it was my ball. I said that we both borrowed it from Paul, our thirteen-year old cousin. He said that Paul handed the ball to me. It went back and forth like this until I noticed that it was near dusk and I better be heading home soon. I'd only been late a couple of times and each time mom greeted me with a big hug and then spanked me.

I told him that I would get the ball. He boosted me into the cannon.  I started crawling and the deeper I went deeper into the barrel, the darker it got.  Half way down the cannon I was terrified. The barrel got narrower and even darker. I had almost reached the end when I slid on some oil and hit my head on the back of the barrel wall. I groped around determined to get the ball and touched an oily can before finding it. My right hand was oily so I picked it up with my left.

I tried to get out. I couldn't because I kept sliding into the back of the barrel. I tried turning around but the barrel was too narrow. This was the first time I truly felt panic.  I had felt panic when I lost my mom in a department store, but nothing like this. I turned my head as much as I could and yelled to Elias that I was stuck. He didn't answer me.  I started to yell for help, then whimpered "mama" and finally started to bawl. I started thrashing about trying to get out of the cannon. The oil made me slip and I banged my head against the wall of the barrel again. Dazed, I threw up, and almost choked to death.  I either fell asleep or fainted from fear. I woke up crying and I cried and cried until I passed out from exhaustion. Next thing I knew, someone dragged me out of the barrel by my ankles. People were all over the place. My cousin Paul was the one who pulled me out. I barely got the words out that his ball was still in the cannon when my mom grabbed me and hugged me the tightest ever. I figured I would be spanked the hardest ever but I wasn't. Elias told me he thought I could get out without any trouble and went home.

The aftereffects were devastating. I still have nightmares about the ordeal. That incident made me a stoic. I'm always in control of my emotions except when I'm alone with Elias. From out of the darkness comes Elias. He slithers onto the bench next to me.

I ask him, "So what did you do?"

"Capo overreacted"

"Start from the beginning and just give me the facts. OK"?

"OK already! It all started when I got on a losing streak; I borrowed more money from Sharkey than I could pay back. I went to Spiro and told him I would give up half the restaurant if he could find someone to cover the loan. He said he'd speak with Capo.  Spiro said, 'Here's Capo's deal; you sell 51% of the restaurant to Capital Usury; the money you get from CU you give to Sharkey and everybody is happy except me, the guy who made the deal for you. So, I'll convert the restaurant's small conference room, the one with the back alley door, into a private office and that makes everybody happy.'"

Spiro thinks life is a barter system and he always wants to get his unfair share.

"So you lied when you said you owed Sharkey money."

"No, I borrowed the limit from Sharkey again; Sharkey tells me either I pay the vig or he cashes in my security for the loan."

"The restaurant?"

"No, the usual, with CU owning 51% of it I can't give it away. The usual is an accident and life insurance policy. Sharkey is the beneficiary and accidents and deaths are his specialty."

 "So, then what happened?"

"I go to Spiro and ask him to set me up as a coke dealer; for a ten per cent cut he sets me up with Louie. I'm making money and paying Sharkey the vig and Spiro his cut."

He pauses and I tell him, "Go on."

"One of the users is a snitch and after I sell him a bag the narcs nab me with a kilo plus. They take me downtown to the hole and tell me I'm facing a mandatory 20. I tell them I want to call my lawyer. They tell me not to worry; they're willing to deal. They want me to set Louie up and they'll reduce the charges to possession. I tell them no deal. They tell me they'll drop the charges against me. I tell them no deal. They tell me they'll drop the charges and put me in the Witness Protection Program."

He pauses again and I say, "And?"

"I had to do it."

"Do what?"

"I set Louie up."

I slowly spoke the words in disbelief, "You set Louie up?"

"I was facing 20 years."

"So they got Louie and he's facing life?"

"Better him than me."

I hit him hard on the side of the head and then again, harder for good measure. I lose control when Elias gets himself in a stupid jam that he expects me to get him out of. It has something to do with the cannon but I never could figure out why.

"What do you need me for? You set up Louie, now you go into protection."

"They say they got a slam dunk on Louie and they don't need me. They say the information I gave them got them better witnesses and they don't trust me. They say they didn't charge me and that's enough payback. They say I'm on my own with no protection."

"What do you want from me?"

"Get me out of the jam."

Even though we don't hang out together much, Elias is my best friend and second cousin. Months may go by and we won't see each other and when we do we just pick up where we left off. I've gotten him out of jams but never, and I mean never, did I think of disobeying a mob order. But I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Elias. He saved my life.

We were in our early twenties and we picked up a couple of girls at Coney Island and went to their hangout, a neighborhood bar. We had just done a gig for Spiro and were flush with dough so we bought a couple of rounds for the bar. We made the bartender happy with a twenty and everyone was having a ball when someone from behind pulled my hair and snapped my head back. Almost instantly the person let go. I turned around in time to see a guy and a knife dropping hard to the floor. The bartender told us to beat it before there was real trouble. I wanted to ask him what he meant by real trouble but Elias grabbed me by the arm and we vamoosed.

Later Elias told me he didn't see the knife, he just saw the guy pull my head back.  So he punched the guy in the liver. Elias never told anybody that he had saved my life.

"Do you still have your Greek passport?"  Both our parents were born in Greece so we are citizens of Greece and America. A couple of years ago we got the Greek passports for an overseas gig.

"Yes."

"I can get you to Greece. Do you want to go?"

"Yeah! I knew you would think of something."

"How much do you have?

"Two thousand."

"I can get you three more. Meet me here tomorrow, same time."  I have a contact at the Hotel Moritz, a Greek ship-owners hangout. He owes me a favor. I'll get Elias to Greece even if it kills me.

We get off the bench, face each other and embrace.  Never did I feel such love for him.

Elias stops in front of the cannon and says, "Remember when we were about six years old and we were playing catch? I threw the ball and it went into the cannon. You crawled into the cannon and couldn't get out." He paused and looked into the cannon. "I threw the ball in the cannon on purpose."

I wanted to ask him why. I didn't get a chance. I lost control. I pulled out the rod. He turned his head; the bullet hit him between the eyes.

Thanks to Elias I've never disobeyed a mob order.


About the Author
I was born and raised in Brooklyn/Manhattan. I had a most pleasant misspent youth. I moved to Reno for 7/24 gambling. I am a retired casino and USPS employee.


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Drabble Corner The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Drabble Corner

Michelle Swisz

Our Drabble for this month is called Connected, written by Sheena Cotton.

Connected

by Sheena Cotton

I collapse beside some tattered hippies, too shattered to appreciate the view.

"You are completely mad, you know," you puff as you arrive. "We're too old for this.

I look at you: in your late fifties, balding, paunchy...

"Yes, I know. But Glastonbury Tor— with this full moon, and on Good Friday too—it is a very special place and time."

You take another indigestion pill.

I pull my jacket tight against the bitter wind. A faerie sea of mist drifts below King Arthur's Avalon, etched monochrome with moonglow. Midnight passes.

You came with me.

You wonderful, beloved, precious man.

It's been an interesting week, again. Someone I recently met committed suicide a few days ago. I found out since that she had been a musician and a poet and author, and now if I ever come to know her better through her poetry or prose, or through any recording that may have been made of her music, I cannot in the conventional sense ask her about it, or tell her my feelings about it. I have only read, or had read to me actually, her suicide note.

Whatever one may think or feel about a person taking his or her own life, there is still a deep sense of loss when someone we expected to get to know better dies. She was a member of a fairly small and close volunteer group I belong to but am quite new in, so I would have gotten to know her better, as I have many of the other members, in some cases slowly and in others more intensely. But there is a sense for me in her death and the manner of it, a sweeping away of what seemed to be what was supposed to happen. Our group today had a memorial of our own for her, and others there said much the same.

If I were to write a piece about this experience, I think the aspect of it that I'd like most to convey would be the sense of a connection, a deep truth, here in the physical world suddenly revealed to have been taken for granted. It's in a way like one feels in an earthquake here in earthquake land, California, or anywhere else they are felt, where the very earth itself moves, and there is consequently nowhere at all to stand. It's not so much just that "this wasn't supposed to happen," but it's a difficulty in saying just what it was that did happen, since it feels so unnatural, yet it did in fact take place.

The theme then for next time, to be our June Drabble, is "questionable truth." What fundamental truth in your life have you come to question or see differently? Send in your 100-word, excluding title, Drabble to drabble@wvu.org. And first, read the Guidelines here. Submissions are due by the 10th of May, for the June issue.

See you again next time.


About the Author
Hello, and welcome to Drabbles. I'm Michelle, your Drabbles editor. I live south of San Francisco, with four spoiled cats, near the sea where I love to walk every day. I've tutored English in workshops, classrooms, and individually at San Jose State University, and have worked on the Fiction Panel here at Writers' Village. Comments and questions are always welcome!


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Recognitions

Joan McNulty Pulver

Welcome to Recognitions, a column designed to celebrate the writing successes of Writers' Village University members!

Brandy Foster submitted two articles to the Austin Student Newspaper, a publication targeted to college students. Both were published in March editions of that newspaper. Her first article, “Having Trouble Staying Focused?,” concerns college students with ADD or ADHD. The second one, “There’s Something in the Aire,” [a feature article on a local apartment complex named English Aire Apts., hence the title], was published in the Housing Guide section.

“When I first found out the articles had been chosen for publication I was in shock. I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Then I called every person I have ever known (I think) and told them to pick up the issue. I went and grabbed 10 issues for those people who could not get one.”

Although Brandy loves to read, she feels she has too many favorite writers to name. "There are so many! I love any writer who is honest, vulnerable, descriptive, and creative.

“At very fragile moments in my life, I have found comfort, encouragement, and unadulterated truth in non-fiction books. There are a few books I have read that have been LIFE-CHANGING (and that is not an exaggeration). When my life changed for the better as a result of reading, I told myself that I wanted to be an inspiration to someone else’s life—and I wanted to write inspiration in a way that would change someone else’s life for the better. From my pure desire to inspire people to become better people, I developed a love for all writing, not just non-fiction. I love learning new languages and new vocabulary. I love playing with words. Writing is something I am talented at and something I love to do, so now I am pursuing it as a career. Who wouldn’t want to get a paycheck for writing their opinions, coming up with interesting ideas, proofreading other people’s ideas, and making up stories?”

Brandy joined Writers’ Village University in July of 2004. “WVU has helped me tremendously because it allows me to network with other writers. The classes are wonderful because they demand you to discipline yourself to complete assignments each week—and I have created some pretty good pieces from WVU classes. I also like looking at the Writing Opportunities log. WVU has also helped me to pick a more specific career than just 'writing'.”

Brandy’s advice to new writers and editors: “In less than a year, I have managed to gain plenty of experience as an editor and writer. I did this by choosing experience over money. If you are a novice with absolutely no experience, like I was last year, you have to realize the importance of volunteer work and taking projects for a little less money until you can establish yourself. After that, ditch the unpaid work—unless you just want to do it. I am not to that point yet. I am still having fun volunteering and learning all I can about the writing and editorial field!” Through WVU Brandy realized how much she loves editing—and how good she is at it. Brandy feels she has a good eye for detail, organization, and grammar. “I am now pursuing a career in editing.” Brandy is an editor at ePress-online.com. She has just finished editing Pumping Your Muse and is in the process of editing a fantasy novel, Dragonthroat.

Sonja Herbert received Honorable Mention for her short story, “Lies,” in the N.E.B. Publishing One Page Short Story Contest. “I have wanted to be a writer ever since I found out that my mother hid in a circus from the Nazis when I was little.”

She loves to read and states that it enhances her writing skills. Her favorite authors are Frank McCourt and Maya Angelou. “I love them because of their terrific creative non-fiction.”

Sonja joined Writers’ Village University in 1998 and is presently a member of the Hemingway Hall writers group. “I’ve learned almost all my writing skills at WVU. It helped me stick with my first novel and finish it. I’m looking for an agent for it now.”

Congratulations, Brandy and Sonja. We wish you continued success in all of your writing endeavors and thank you for sharing your information with us.

We look forward to reading about your writing accomplishments in this column. If you or someone you know received recognition for writing, please send the information to recognitions@wvu.org. Let us know!


About the Author
Joan McNulty Pulver, mother of five and grandmother of five, works as an Administrative Secretary for the State of Florida but considers her writing and editing to be her vocation. She is a columnist for T-Zero: The Writer’s E-Zine, a course developer and facilitator at Writers’ Village University and the Acquisitions Coordinator/Editor for ePress-online. Joan has had two short stories published and is currently working on a non-fiction book and a fantasy novel.


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Submissions Guidelines (Updated)

Until further notice, only plain text submissions in the body of the email will be considered.
NO ATTACHMENTS.

What We Pay For

Fiction: Stories should be of interest to writers in general, not just a narrow group.

Fiction should be submitted to fiction@thewritersezine.com. Payment starts at $15.00.

If considered for publication, you will be asked to return an email agreement including your name and address.

Craft Features: Queries about Craft features should be sent to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Payment starts at $15.00, and, if considered, you will be sent an email agreement to fill out and return.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Please do not email us to ask what we pay for in other categories. When we can add to our list, we will include it in these guidelines.

What We Publish

Original short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, particularly non-fiction related to the craft of writing and interviews.

For fiction we prefer something with a plot and resolution. If we like the main character, we are more likely to accept the story. If the main character has a problem to resolve or has to make a choice, that's conflict, and we love conflict! Too many writers confuse conflict with fight scenes. Don't be one of them. Give us a protagonist who acts, makes choices no matter how hard they are to solve his or her dilemma, not a wimp who drifts along and has to be rescued.

Non-fiction should be related to the craft of writing or be good resource material for writers. Accuracy and originality are vital. No reprints. If it has already been published somewhere else, our readers will spot it and let us know.

What We Won't Publish

Anything that inspires "hate," is defamatory or is pornographic.

Simultaneous submissions.

Material that has appeared elsewhere (reprints).

Seasonal material submitted during the same month (i.e., a Christmas story in December). Our lead time is short compared to print publications, but we do need time to edit, html and proof submission. A good guideline is to submit the manuscript by the first of the preceding month (i.e., submit a Christmas story before November 1st).

Length Recommendations

  • For Fiction, under 1500 words is preferred. We will consider excerpts from longer works.

  • Poetry should fit on one printed page if possible. A maximum of five poems may be submitted at one time (when the hold is lifted).

  • Non-fiction or Craft features have the most leeway in word count. In general these manuscripts should be 750 to 2,000 words. We like to take advantage of the hypertext capabilities we have available and link to charts, graphs, lists and so forth. Thumbnail versions may be included in the body of the article.

Rights

All rights other than first electronic, non-exclusive 'anthology' (for collections of T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine works only), and non-exclusive archival rights (we keep back issues online) are and remain the sole and exclusive property of the author.

Formats We Will Accept

Plain text in the body of an email.

T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine is an HTML publication. This gives us access to a variety of options but it is also a limiting factor.

  • Underlining is used exclusively for links in HTML. Please do not underline in your manuscript. It you are including a link to a webpage for reference, please mark the link the following way: (WEB LINK) http://thewritersezine.com (END WEB LINK).
  • The less than (<) and greater than (>) signs are used to enclose HTML encoding. If you need to use brackets, please use the square [ ] ones instead.
  • Paragraph indentation requires time consuming insertion of multiple HTML symbols. Please separate paragraphs by inserting a hard, blank line between them.
  • Fonts need to be simple. No multiple fonts. We prefer standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier or Arial set at 12 point. If your subject matter requires something else, ask us first.
  • The curly (smart) quotes, apostrophes, the em dash (two hyphens together) and ellipsis … (three periods) become strange and exotic characters when copied from your word processor into email. Check your preferences or options to see if you can use straight quotes. 
  • Text formatting such as bold, italic, centering, bullet list, etc., should be noted in the text by using all caps in parentheses. For example, if you wanted to italicize the word submission, you would type: (ITALICS) submission (END ITALICS).

Editing

We expect you to run spell-check and to check your grammar and punctuation before submitting. We will not reject a submission for a few typos or errors, but will if there are an excessive number of errors.

Note: Since our reading audience is international, we do not require a specific version of English. Use the spelling appropriate to your region.

We will automatically correct obvious typos such as “ton” for “not” and may correct simple agreement problems. For anything beyond that, time permitting, we will return the submission to you with a request for corrections.

Getting to Know You

Fiction and Craft features published in T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine include brief third person biographical notes on the writers. For all submissions, please compose your own bio and include it to save our editors and yourself time later if/when your piece is accepted for publication. We suggest sharing a little about your background, occupation, geographical location and what inspired your story.

How and Where to Submit

We do not accept submissions via US mail. Email submissions only, to the appropriate department, in the body of the email. No attachments accepted.

Fiction should be sent to fiction@thewritersezine.com.

Craft Non-fiction should be queried first. Send query to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Include the type of submission (fiction, non-fiction) in the subject line.

Be sure to include your name and email address in the body of the email.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement that your submission or query was received within a week, please send a follow-up query with “Did you Receive?” in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include your name and email address, the title of the work submitted, and if different, the email address sent from. Do not resend the submission unless we request it.

Good luck!


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
http://TheWritersEzine.com
Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

© Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All rights reserved