[stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

Sun Jun 7 15:42:50 UTC 2015

I also think the exercise was meant to observe a real-life situation at a
coffee shop or other place where you can observe people. Posting a
fictional scenario is just fine, in my opinion, but I think the point was
to observe a real situation or conversation then write about it for 10
minutes, which perhaps where any confusion may come in.

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Vejas
Vasiliauskas via stylist
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2015 11:38 PM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas
Subject: Re: [stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

Hi Bill,
I understand where you are coming from, but maybe Jackie isn't talking
about you per say.  In her story a man and a woman are talking, and Bill
could be that fictional woman's husband or friend.
For example, one of the main characters for a story that I'm writing is
called Sophie, and I mean no offense to any real Sophies in the world when
I decide how I want her to be.  I hope this makes sense.
Vejas
----- Original Message -----
From: William L Houts via stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 06 Jun 2015 21:32:38 -0700
Subject: Re: [stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

HI Jackie Lee,

I take your point that I could reciprocate more in my criticism of work
submitted here by others; I didn't realize I was being a devouring ego or
something.  But you quote me as saying things which I have not said, so I
feel a little cagey about this criticism.  It's not as if I'm some kind of
stern taskmaster who submits difficult work and demands that it be absorbed
and criticized by a terrorized and helpless class.  
Neither
you nor anyone else subscribed to this list is olbligated to comment on my
or anyone else's work, and I have not demanded such attention.  
But
you sound truly hurt and angry, and if I have done the hurting and angering
, then I'm truly sorry for it.  If you have some work which you would like
me to read and comment on, I'd be glad to read it and give you a
responsible, non-vengeful critique.  Though you're apparently really mad at
me, I read it as a sign that you take me seriously, and one doesn't always
expect that kind of respect on email discussion lists.  Let's take it once
more from the top, with forgiveness on both sides.

--Bill

On 6/6/2015 3:56 PM, Jackie Williams via stylist wrote:
 Rowena, Bill and whoever is interested.
 About ten minutes of writing.  Plus, the spell check at the end!
 I sat in the small cafÃ© next to two blind people.  At least that is what
I assumed because one had a folded cane on the table beside her coffee, and
the man had a ddog resting quietly under the table.
 They seemed to have a lively conversation going.  I tried to hear, since
the man's voice seemed to have some measure of frustration in it.
 They apparently were writers and that amazed me.  I did not know that
blind people were writers, at least, not usually.
 " This list seems to have dormant.  I haven't had any feedback for many of
my recent poems."
 "You know, Bill, you are an extremely prolific poet and some of your poems
are difficult to understand at first reading."
 Yes, but they could still be acknowledged, couldn't they?"
 "Yes, that would be the normal thing to do, but perhaps some feel that
there has not been enough reciprocity shown in terms of their own work.  To
comment on a poem without a serious critique, is something a serious poet
does not want to spend time on.  
Particularly now, when almost all on the list are sending e-mails about the
conference  coming up in early July."
 Bill said, "But surely many are not going.
 "I agree, but that is perhaps because I am not going, and thus do not read
many of the e-mails lately.  But do not forget that many who are not able
to go, are still busy with blogs  Submitting poetry to state contests, or
having computer problems."

 I think my ten minutes are gone, and I have hardly gotten a story out of
this.  Interesting  Jackie Lee

 Time is the school in which we learn.
 Time is the fire in which we burn.
 Delmore Schwartz

 -----Original Message-----
 From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rowena
Portch via stylist
 Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2015 12:33 PM
 To: Writers' Division Mailing List
 Cc: Rowena Portch
 Subject: [stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

 Okay, here is my ten-minute writing snippet.  No need to comment on it.  I
just wanted to share.  I?™m curious what others come up with.

 As I sat there, quietly listening to the couple sitting beside me, I
realized how very important communication is.  They were having an argument
about who said what and why.  Now, because I'm blind, I cannot see their
facial expressions, but I could feel their body language as if it were as
palpable as dust on the table.

 The woman spoke, voicing her opinion about the man's point of view on gay
people.  He had believed that gays should be able to marry, where the woman
was opposed of such things.  Instead of letting him explain his views, she
was more excited about voicing her opinion.  Neither of them listened to
the other and tensions flared.  Soon, the woman was pounding the table.  I
heard her drink spill onto the table top.  Neither them of seemed to have
noticed.

 A chair scraped, and the man walked away.  The woman groaned, slopped up
the spilled drink, and followed him out of the store.  
The tension that had built between them lingered; a dark heavy thickness in
the air that was hard to breathe.

 R o w e n a  P o r t c h
 Author of the Spirian Saga

 RowenaPortch.com <http://rowenaportch.com/

 View the Book Trailer for The Spirian Saga, a new paranormal romance
<http://youtu.be/XeNmJkXyJv0
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--

"Oh, Sophie!  Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"

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