[stylist] Telephone Meeting Notes- 11-9-2008

[LoriStay at aol.com]

I'm sorry I missed the meeting, but I'll give my take on these things 
interspersed with Robert's message:

In a message dated 11/11/08 12:09:33 AM, newmanrl at cox.net writes:
> 
>  
> 
> Do health issues or your mood effect your writing and how?  
> 
It does affect me.   When I am ill, I don't have the energy to do much 
writing.   


>  Some said they could be down and writing would raise their spirits.
> 
> 
Sometimes.   Or sometimes I'll read over an old story and remind myself that 
yes, I can write well.

> We talked about what conditions would bring about a extra focus to our
> writing. One person said that being ticked off could really focus her
> thoughts and writing during that state of mind made that work some of her
> clearest and most effective.
> 

For me, it's injustice.   That really kicks me into gear.

> Another person shared that   a walk could help him work out a
> tough passage or development of a character.
> 
Lately the only thing long walks do for me is to remind me my hip hurts.   I 
do find that bringing a cane with me helps (support cane).

> 
> We also got into wanting to learn to create more alive acting characters. We
> discussed steps on how to develop our skill in writing a multi-dimensional
> character:  
> 
What does it for me is to base the character on a real person.   Though I 
note that after awhile, my fictional characters take on a life of their own, and 
refuse to do what I think they ought to do.
> 
> We talked about if any of us had studied writing. 
> 
I've taken creative writing courses, audited courses, joined   writer's 
groups, written about a million words, and am now teaching a writing course.

> Most have read articles or
> gotten feedback from friends. We all felt we could use more feedback about
> our writing.
> 
I could use more feedback than I get.
 
> We discussed our Division's quarterly magazine- Of late, had it become more
> about blindness than in past years and was that good or bad?
> 
It's not a matter of good or bad.   It's the fact we are the NFB, and if 
we're not about blindness, what are we about?   Writing well in the service of 
improving the lives of the blind seems about right.

>  We discussed
> S&S's purpose: decided it had two main purposes- First, it is about
> blindness in the form of furthering the NFB philosophy by showcasing blind
> writers and/or stories about blindness. 
> 
What I often note is how hard it is to get blind writers to contribute.

> Second, articles about writing.
> 
I've tried to include these in every issue that I've edited.

> Also, authors didn't have to be blind, nor necessarily a Division member
> 
That's true.   If a writer has written an article about writing that has much 
to recommend it, I'll include it.   I have at times included stories by 
writers who are not blind and have not written about blindness, but there's a 
reason for that.   If I don't have enough material, we need to put a story in 
there.   And asking a sighted writer to write about blindness doesn't work.   Most 
of them don't know what they are talking about.   You should see the silly 
poetry I've gotten at times.

> (though we'd like to see more Division members contributing to S&S). What
> we'd not like to see being published would be a short story written by a
> sighted person in which the story had nothing to do with promoting our
> cause, as in the abilities of the blind (there are countless other mags for
> this type of story).
> 
Actually, not everyone who subscribes to Slate & Style feels this way.   
Often I'm told, "I like my fiction in Braille."   Not everything has to be a 
polemic.   Sometimes a story about something else can be applied to the life of a 
blind person.   It's the nature of fiction.   However, at present, because of 
the contest, we have plenty of fiction written by blind persons.   It's 
refreshing.

> 
> Other topics and great comments or suggestions were made that I did not
> capture.
> 
> The next meeting will be the third Sunday in December, the 21st.
> 
> 
I have a holiday concert on the 21st, but it is earlier, so I should be able 
to make it.
Lori
> 
> Http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
> 
> 
> 
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