Welcome visitors, Kami Kinard, a Greenville newcomer; Van Williams who has a story incubating in his head about "the Black Mafia"; and Cindy Kay who was planning to spend an evening with a story tellers' group and ended up with us instead.
Okay...we can pick at Leland all we want (the sex isn't right; the hospital doesn't work; ixnay the bra) but he's the one MetroBeat picked as second place winner in its recent fiction contest. Congratulations, Leland...er, Pressly...You made us proud! Hats off, also, to Gene Fehler who showed us a newly published poetry anthology that includes his work and to Russ Burns whose SC Archaeology book now has money, a lead writer, and momentum. Nice work, gentlemen. Nancy and Robin returned from the Florida Writers' Conference pumped up by the enthusiastic response to their seminars. We know their students got some valuable insights into the zen of writing and the craft of critique.

If you're an SCWW member with a web page "suitable for general audiences", you can now get a link on the SCWW Members page.

Don't fool around and miss our next meeting, 6:00 p.m., Thursday, April 3rd at The Open Book. It's time to get your entries ready for the SCWW Anthology, so let's hear your best stuff.

Russ Burns read a personal essay called "Rethinking the Recycling" which is about cremation. Feeling that a cemetery is a tasteless waste of good real estate Russ argues for the more sane practice of cremation and ash distribution, teeth, bones, and all. Exactly what to do with the ashes is unclear as Russ retains the ashes of his mother-in-law in a cardboard box awaiting a trip to Florence, South Carolina for internment. Russ cautions that wind direction needs to be considered before any distribution of ashes. Most mourners object to being inundated with ashes at a memorial service. Still, ashes in the eyes of mourners at a ceremony to spread the ashes over such things as water or a horse pasture seems so human. The group felt this was an interesting and well written personal essay worthy of the anthology.

Invest in the Duct Tape Manufacturing industry Pat Stewart says in her latest newspaper column, "Disaster Stock Tips." I for one was pleased that Pat no longer has to maintain a careful watch over her local fire hydrant. Instead she has shifted her patriotic duty to the preparation of a safe room or internal room in her house. Apparently duct taping sheets of plastic over windows is part of the new anti-terrorism program. At least she isn't wrapping fire hydrants in plastic and duct tape. Pat always breaks me up with her take on the comings and goings of those that lead America.

"Trail Mix" by published and paid author Leland Beaudrot was a joy to read. Some in the group thought his heroine, Lauren, was too flippant about having a one afternoon stand with the story's hero, Jack. The love birds had just met that afternoon on a hiking trail, but as Leland explains Lauren has been without for a number of years so who can blame her when the dashing and gallant Jack comes walking down the hiking trail. The tryst is interrupted by word that Lauren's father has had a heart attack. Leland moves the action on the trip to the hospital and at the hospital along as Lauren's father is treated and pronounced ready to continue living. Leland is getting better at beats and dialogue and images such as Lauren's bra hanging out of Jack's pocket for Daddy to see. All comments on this short story are silenced by the fifty bucks Leland got for the story. If it sells, it must be good. At least that is what they said about my uncle at the livestock auction.

Gene Fehler hooked us early in his story about Sally, the one-armed baseball player. He touched us tenderly with her spunky spirit and courageous attitude. Could any of us be so brave moving to a new town and being picked out off the bat as "that ugly girl"? Doubtful. But Gene makes Sally believable and sympathetic (Despite all our yak, yak, yak about prosthetic arms, bio-technology, and Sally's age). We'll be rooting for her. We also enjoyed her father's baseball-themed poetry. Hmmm, says we, Father reminds us an awful lot of...hmmmm.

We got a good laugh as Phil Arnold presented his modest proposal. Move over, Jonathan Swift, the quirky Elvis Presliac is up to his funny stuff. Phil's letter to the editor began routinely enough...he has an idea, he says, that might be the key to an acceptable compromise. He moves quickly, though, to the good stuff: I humbly suggest that Greenville County Council should declare the second Monday as "Kings Day," to commemorate the January 15 birthday of Martin Luther King and the January 8 birthday of Elvis. Sure, Phil's heart is in the cause of civil rights and racial harmony; but we know what else he wants...a special day off to celebrate "the King."

Newcomer Kami Kinard stopped by our last session. Kami is a writer of children's stories and poetry. Her three poems, "Sonya," "The City" and "Red" were thought provoking and filled with powerful images. "Sonya" divided the group, with half wanting an expanded ending and the other disagreeing. The shifting POV again split the group as to its merits. "The City" reflected urban sprawl. The only suggestion was to change the word "vine" to the South's creeping monster "kudzu." "Red" proved that being first isn't always being smart. We hope Kami returns and shares more of her work.

John Kingsbury read "Sailing the Sea of Galilee," which will be his entry in the SCWW's Horizons contest. Based on Scripture, Mason Pigg, led John through Biblical stories. John's homework assignment was to answer the question, "How can you distinguish an hallucination from a vision?" Interesting question, and between Mason Pigg and John it served to help me see the world through mental illness. Using the stories from the Bible is a most unique way to show how this works.
A few lines were priceless: "The first pair of evangelists sent out by God were women. And we argue about their ordination." And "I knew one of the men was Jesus because his head was surrounded by a Fifteenth Century halo." John, if Horizons doesn't use this one, save it for next year's Metrobeat fiction contest!! They pay money.

John Migacz read his essay "The Joy of Writing." It surely showed his joy in 1000 words or less. Cut out passive phrases. Give concrete examples of scenes from everyday life. John summed up the writing mentality and gave it life.

For some reason I learn more about the writer's craft watching movies than reading novels, but I cannot come close to writing a movie script. Here's a movie to watch if you want to see the writer's craft at work: Little Secrets. Shot in 24 days at a cost of just under $2.5 million this movie features a commentary track as a special feature. The producer/director, Blair Treu, discusses the movie with the single scriptwriter, Jessica Barondes. Having one writer means the movie holds together better than when it is written and rewritten by a crew of writers. When there is a crew one writer may write the dialogue for the male lead and another writer writes the dialogue for the female lead. This often results in the impression the two leads aren't really talking to each other.

If you want to watch a well written movie with a frame narrative take a look at Amadeus. Instead of just opening with a frame narrative and then the movie, this movie goes back to the frame setting and characters and comments on what is happening in the movie. Sort of like a man sitting on his girlfriend's tombstone and telling her what has happened in his life since her death. Who is writing a story like that in our group?

Printed Matters is the newsletter of the Greenville Chapter, SCWW, which meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at The Open Book, 110 S Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC.

Thanks to our contributing writers and news reporters: John Kingsbury, Sue Renault, John Migacz and Pat Stewart.

Copyright 2003 by Leland Beaudrot, Editor. Contributing writers retain all rights to their work.