Pages

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Finding the Old West

Oh how we love the Old West. We read about it, study it, pour over it and we still can't get enough. A hundred years ago, the women charged forward and conquered a barren and dry land. They mustered up the courage to carry children, follow husbands, and sometimes make their own way in an uncertain world. Some buried loved ones along the way, and continued on their journey. They cried, laughed and always learned about the tremendous strength they held inside. They were unstoppable.

Today, we have the ability to discover more about the West at our fingertips. The Internet and libraries are saturated with information about the history of the land and the people of days gone by.

There are towns still in existence that carry the feel of the Old West. Cowboys still lasso their horses to the post outside the local watering holes. Buildings are full of tin ceilings and aged newspapers plastered to the walls, flaking from age.

Towns like Miles City, Montana and Mancos, Colorado echo stories of the past while creating new ones every day.

Here are a few sites and places to visit for research and story development:

  • www.womenwritingthewest.org (Everyone in the group has so much to offer) Be sure to check out the members page We have a variety of author's sites connecting with the Old West all the way through the present.
  • 2008 Women Writing the West Conference in October (a place to connect with a variety of people who love and write about the West).

Sunday, January 27, 2008

SHORT STORY CHOICE!!

The tabulating is done and I will be telling the story of Elsie and Ruth as they arrive in Silver Cliff from Chicago.

I will be posting in what I will call 'real' time. What you will be reading over the next few weeks or so will be written on the blog post. The first draft of the story and the comments I make on what I have written will be just as they come from my fingers except for the spell check. I have to do that for you see the keyboard does not make sounds like the keyboard of the piano and if my fingers move who know what you will see.

For those of you who missed the picture of the mountains led to the following phrase "just a few more miles and then it will be time to have fun", which in turn lead to the idea of Elsie and Ruth going to the mountians from an opposite place. In thinking of names for the characters I came up with Elsie and Ruth for I wanted older sounding names. The names in fact are the first two names of my paternial grandmother. I myself originally came from the mid-west and can speak fairly well for how that felt. I have spent the last couple of days putting the two ladies in various scenarios, but other than the opening few lines I am not quite sure what is going to happen as I get to the end. I usually know the ending for my stories, the fun part is letting my characters decide how they want to get there. Now for those first few lines.

"Just a few more miles and then it will be time to have fun," Elsie laughed. "Just look at the mountains! It is so much better than Chicago"

That is Elsie, I think she would find a leaf fun if she thought it would get her anywhere. Still she is my best friend. It is because of her I am on what she likes to call an adventure.

"Come on Ruth, smile. We have survived so many things. Get rid of your somber mood and think of what is to come."

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Final Four

Here are the final four. The following are the choices made by the readers of this blog for scenarios. The winning choice I will use to not only write a first draft of a short story, but I will also explain as I can the thought process I use to get to what I write.

Please send your choice to dorismccraw@yahoo.com before Wednesday Jan 26, 2008.

1. Having been forced to remain at a lower altitude due to heart problems Sue comes to the decision that no matter what she will return to the mountains she loves.

2. Elsie and Ruth are on their way to the mining town of Silver Cliff to experience the excitement of the boom town. hey decided anything would be better that working the factories in Chicago.

3. Kathleen, a very controlling mother, is left with the empty nest. She has just lost her husband, and now has to face what her children are going to to with the homestead that she can no longer maintain.

4. Having lead and exciting and adventurous life, Clara, is looking for somewhere to spend the remaining years of her life doing something to return to the world the 'gold' she has had over her wonderful life.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

BRUNCH WITH JANE KIRKPATRICK

For Those Oregon Members. Join Jane Kirkpatrick for Brunch as she does a special presentaion honoring Women in Hisory at 10:AM on March 8 at the Eugene Hilton 66 E. 6th Ave., Eugene, OR. For reservations, send a check made out to AAUW to A. Hinman, 236 Greenvale Dr. Springfield OR 97477 By March 1. The cost is $18.00. This special event is sponsored by the Eugene-Lane Branch of the American Association of University Women. Jo@Jo-Brew.com
www.something-brewing.com
http://www.jo-brew.com/

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Short Story, next to last round

Here are the last of the daily choices. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have had fun creating them. The idea today is "There is no jail......"

4.1 Jenny was caught with stolen goods and was sent to prison for 2 years. She has reason to be angry at the boyfriend to left her holding the 'goods' so to speak. How does she resolve her anger and dilema?

4.2 Having been forced to remain at a lower altitude due to heart problems Sue comes to the decision that no matter what she will return to the mountains she loves.

4.3 For years Samantha has taken her singing talent for granted. Now faced with throat surgery that could take away that talent Sam has a decision to make. Surgery or ?

4.4 Maria became wheelchair bound after and accident and is fighting her way back to riding on her ranch and on the horse she loves.

I look forward as I do everyday to your choices.

Doris McCraw

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Short Story, Next Round

Here is the next round of choices. Just continue to pick one from each day and on Sunday I will post the top four for the final choice. Then, starting next weekend you can see how my mind creates (hopefully) a short story.

The idea today is : "Just a few more mile and then it will be time to have fun."

3.1 So says Janice to her husband and 3 children, who would rather be home and hanging with their friends. To Janice this is the chance to get the family back together.

3.2 Joanie is on her way to go skiing when she is caught in a severe storm and finds herself stranded with a flat tire.

3.3 Sally has run away from home in Wisconsin and thinks that going to the mountains is the answer to all the problems she has with her life.

3.4 Elsie and Ruth are on their way to the mining town of Silver Cliff to experience the excitement of the boom town. They decided anything would be better than working the factories in Chicago.

SEE YOU TOMORROW!

Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Short Story, part 3


Okay everyone here is the second days choices for the short story on the blog. You can make your choices for all four days up until Friday Jan 18, 2008. Just send your choices to dorismccraw@yahoo.com with the choice in the subject line.

The idea today is "Some people look and see beauty, I look and see years of my life gone, gone for nothing."

2.1 Arlene spent her life taking care of her father and mother, who really did not care or love her, instead preferring her prodigal brother.

2.2 Mary, married to a cold, hard man feels that she has made a mistake and that her life will be for nothing, except for hard work, endless loneliness and despair.

2.3 Juliette has spent years working as a madam, trying to make a living and hating the thought of using others just to survive. She is now trying to make her peace with herself and those she used.

2.4 Kathleen, a very controlling mother, is left with the empty nest. She has just lost her husband, and now has to face what her children are going to do with the homestead that she can no longer maintain.

Velda Brotherton Earlier Podcast





A podcast of an interview with Velda Brotherton conducted by Revvell Revate for the Book Crawler was almost missed when the holidays took precedence.

This interview is in several segments and covers the writing of Fly With The Mourning Dove. It was originally podcast on November 29, 2007 on www.thebookcrawler.com and is a vibrant discussion about writing creative nonfiction and working with the protagonist of the story throughout the process.

Here are some photos taken in New Mexico of one of the ranches still owned by Edna Hiller, the hero of Fly With The Mourning Dove. Hope you enjoy them.

Also, don't forget to check out the documentary on Velda Brotherton at http://vimeo.com/354804.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Short Story part 2

Instead of me doing everything, I thought it might be fun to make this an interactive exercise. Over the next four days I will post scenarios of each of the four ideas. I would ask that you as readers choose one from each day and on Sunday Jan 20 I will post the four winners and then whichever the group chooses I will write the story based on that choice.

You may send you choices to dorismccraw@yahoo.com and reference the number IE. 1.2 or 2.4 in the subject line. Now for the choices today.

The idea I will be working with today is "is this the area where I will finally find my 'gold'? etc.

1.1 The woman is actually a prospector, there were a few of them in the 'old' days. She is trying to get the funding together to by the supplies she needs, but is being turned down by those she request help from.

1.2 Gold to Mary is a home and property of her own. She is escaping a bad relationship and feels that she can lose herself in the mountains and hence find the 'gold' that is peace of mind and safety.

1.3 As a young woman, Jennifer had always wanted to get married and have children. Because of a physical disfigurement she has not had the luck she had hoped for. She is heading toward the mountains and the men who work there to try and find her 'gold', someone who will care for her as she can and has cared for others.

1.4 Having led and exciting and adventurous life, Clara is looking for somewhere to spend the remaining years of her life doing something to return to the world the 'gold' she has had over her wonderful life.

Take you pick and I will see you tomorrow.

Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines.

Our own Velda Brotherton featured on "Writers in the Sky" blog


Author and Women Writing the West member, Velda Brotherton makes a splash on the "Writer’s in the Sky" blog, a site dedicated to featuring different avenues of learning the craft of writing. This past Friday, they podcasted Velda discussing her latest book, Fly With the Mourning Dove.

In this creative non-fiction release, Velda shares the story of six-year-old Edna as she starts a new life in the parched, desert land of New Mexico in the early 1920s. Follow Edna as she faces daily existence with an ill family member, while she and her parents homestead 640-acres in the arid New Mexico desert. Share in her new life as she learns to fall in love with the beauty and mystery of New Mexico.

Velda is a resident in the beautiful Ozark National Forest. She is a member of Women Writing the West as well as the Ozark Writers League, Missouri Writer’s Guild and Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop.

Be sure to check out the podcast at http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/

Velda can be found on the Internet at www.veldabrotherton.com

Fly with the Mourning Dove by Velda Brotherton

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Short Story


I decided to write a short story on the blog. I am having fun with the process and thought I would share with you what I do.


This time I have started by doing what I call 'free' writing. I used the above picture taken by my friend Nadine Keaney on our return trip from Breckenridge after a murder mystery show.


Here are some of the thoughts and feelings that I took from the picture.

"There is no jail worse than the one that puts you behind bars and then shows you the freedom you have lost."

"Just a few more miles and then it will be time to have fun."

"Some people look and see beauty, I look and see years of my life gone, gone for nothing."

"Is this the area where I will finally find my 'gold'? I have prospected for years, dealing with me who think I cannot do as well as they. So what if it the area is covered with snow, I am stronger than they think."

Join me next time. I have a feeling one of the above may end up the story!

If you wish to comment please feel free, the more the merrier.

Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines



Wednesday, January 02, 2008

New Short Story Competition Announced

Women Writing the West and She's Out West magazine are co-sponsoring a short story competition in 2008! The top three stories will be published in She's Out West. Only WWW members are eligible to submit.

For more information about Women Writing the West, and complete contest guidelines, see www.womenwritingthewest.org.

For more information about She's Out West magazine, see www.shesoutwest.com.

This is a terrific opportunity for WWW members. Start thinking about your stories!

Regards,
Kathleen Ernst
WWW President
www.kathleenernst.com