A Good Day to be an Author

Okay, being an author has many highs and lows. Lows are when you get rejection letters from publishers, bad book reviews, and writer's block. Highs are just the opposite, plus many others.

I had an "author high" two days ago when I was doing research for my next book. I am tracking this particular man and his life in online newspapers. All I have are written words, but then, in one of the papers I found it! There was an actual sketch of the man, and many things associated with the story I am researching.

You just can't beat that!!!

Sherry Monahan-Interview

This is just a little FYI for anyone who wants to read a book review for the new 2008 Taste of Tombstone. The link also includes a 15-minute interview I did on South West Blend radio. http://www.southwestblend.com/Books_Poetry/Monahan_S.htm

WWW Book Donations

Women Writing The West has donated 95 books by its authors to the Elbert Library in Elbert, Colorado. The books were delivered April 30 by Joyce Lohse, who has collected the books taken from the tradeshow trunks when new books were added. The Elbert Library is unique because it is both the Elbert School Library and the Elbert Public Library. The school library is open to the public after school and on Saturdays through the Elbert County Library District.

The collection includes both adult and juvenile fiction and nonfiction books, making it a great addition to the Elbert Library. The books will be displayed as a collection through the summer, and then the books will be merged onto the library shelves. This is the first Women Writing The West Collection in the United States. The books will be available for Inter-Library Loan throughout the state of Colorado. Joyce will continue to send books to the library from the trade show trunks as members send new books to her. When the library doesn't have room for any more, the WWW board will choose another library in the west to house the next collection.



Pictured Left To Right: Joyce Lohse, Administrator for Women Writing The West; Gayle Gresham, Elbert Public Librarian and Secretary of Women Writing The West; Shelly Gould, Elbert School Librarian; Kari Baumann, Director of Elbert County Library District; Jan Gabehart, Elbert Branch Manager; Kelli Loflin, Elbert School Superintendent.

Great news from WWW member, Jane Kirkpatrick

MY LATEST RELEASE, A MENDING AT THE EDGE, IS NUMBER 10 ON THE PNBA BESTSELLER LIST!

IT'S ABOVE THE MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTER AND THE ROAD. I know those books came out ages ago but hey, it's the third book in the series. I don't think the second book ever made that list and number ten is very, very good! How cool is that? Thanks for letting me cheer!

Jane Kirkpatrick

Visit my blog, too!

Branching Out - thoughts on creativity

I have been thinking about the creative process of writing for some time. One of the ideas that keeps recurring is the idea of exploring other disciplines as a way to create even more depth to what I do.

I recently came across a one-minute pitch for screenplays by Pilar Alessandra and realized that it could be adapted to make a one-minute pitch for stories and books. It also creates a great spine for the work.

As I considered further I realized that as an actor and coach I read a lot of works on becoming a better performer. In the book "The Power of the Actor" the author talks about the goals you choose for creating the depth of your character. That struck me as an idea that could also be used when creating my own characters.

As a student of water-colors, which I am just beginning, I realized that studying that discipline helped me look at the world around me in so many different ways.

When writing, no matter how we try to do otherwise, our stories are filtered through ourselves and the world as we know it. How much greater then would our work be if we changed the way we look at things by studying other disciplines. They all say much the same, but sometimes looking at the same things in a different way allows the 'light bulb' to go on. We then can create work that will influence others to see things in a broader spectrum for many generations to come. That is my idea of what creative work is all about.

correction to web address

Opps. I just noticed that I gave you the wrong web address for Kim Ford's reviews. It's at www.berlysue.blogspot.com. Enjoy

blog tour, booksigning,

I'm finally back though getting ready to travel again....but a few of the blog tour sites have posted their reviews of my book. The latest is Kim Ford's site www.berlysue.blogspot.com. She's reviews all three book in my latest series, the most recent was just released this fall. I hope you'll make a stop to read it. I've also posted some new material at my own blog www.janekirkpatrick.blogspot.com I'm off to Powell's Books for a signing in Portland (not their downtown store but in Beaverton). and then the official launch of the newest book A Mending at the Edge. Thanks for the support from so many at Women Writing the West. Jane

A True Texas Tale Comes to Life

Sherri Knight's love of history and research has put her in the books. Her new release, Tom P's Fiddle, A True Texas Tale has already caught the attention of the North Texas Book Festival, naming her a finalist for 2008 in the nonfiction category for her account of a young fiddle player who found himself running from the law.

In this true tale Knight digs into the life of Tom P. Varnell, a skillful musician and, after a series of unfortunate events, a 19^th-century fugitive. Her extensive research, which led her across several state lines, gave her an opportunity to search through old newspapers, museum archives, and University documents among other avenues.

Her extensive exploration into the life of Tom P. Varnell have led to the finely woven story of a young man helping his family struggle to survive after his father’s murder, but finding himself on the run after attending a party for the daughters of Jonah Land.

Accused of shooting Mr. Land and raping his daughter Ella, Tom flees and heads into a life of infamy, where all of the elements of a true Wild West adventure shine through in this nonfiction story. Knight takes the reader back to 1883 Texas with vivid, detailed accounts of a young man on the run to New Mexico Territory and back, where he finally stands before a jury.

In her researching process, Knight has created a blog dedicated to the story of Tom P. Varnell. The blog not only details the life and events surrounding Varnell, but a wealth of information about the time period, from Waco’s Red Light District to Civil War battles fought in Texas. Be prepared for an all day reading adventure on the blog, where one entry leads to another. Her depth of detail, pictures and variety of information about the time period is fascinating, keeping the reader locked on the site.

A pure-bred Texan, Knight still calls the Lone Star State home. She spent 31 years in the classroom putting her all-level teaching certificate to use. She has won numerous teaching awards, including Teacher of the Year – East Central High School (San Antonio), National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar, and Texas Exes Award for Excellence in Education – University of Texas at Austin among many others. She is currently working on her next book on the history of the Erath County District Court.

Sherri Knight

This member of Women Writing the West
can be found at http://tompsfiddle.blogspot.com/

and http://www.tompsfiddle.com/index.php

short story 1st rewrite

"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 calls an adventure.

"Come on smile. We’ve survived the great fire and so much more. Get rid of your somber mood and think of what is to come. We were meant to be here."

As we came into Silver Cliff I did look at those mountains. They were tall, taller than the buildings in Chicago. They looked so much more substantial than anything I had seen. They could be guideposts to the future or crush you with their majesty. As for the town it was so small. "How are we going to make living here? Just look, there is hardly anything here." I asked."We’ll find work.

"You could put your music education to work and teach."

"How do you know people would spend money on a luxury when it looks like most are just getting by. Look at those houses, where are we going to stay?"

"Listen Ruth, we made the decision to come out here and now we will just make the best of it. If worse came to worse you could sing for your supper."

I made a face at Elsie, but secretly I loved to sing, I just had never done it for money.

“What about you? What are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry about me, I always survive.”

As usual Elsie was right, but I did have my misgivings. I really did wonder how we, two single women, were going to make a go of it here. This town was so small, so new. What would people think of us. I admit I was scared.

"Well Ruth, get ready to take on a new adventure," Elsie said as she jumped from our coach.The first glimpse I had was of men starring at Elsie, she did that to them, and she just smiled and turned to get her bags. Men couldn’t help but look at her, she was of medium height a great head of auburn hair and a smile that could melt snow. I followed close behind, walking in her shadow, as we went toward what appeared to be a hotel. An oriental gentleman was walking out and nodded a greeting as we entered.

"See everyone is friendly, you have nothing to worry about."

"You know , every time you say that I have the strangest feeling that I should be worrying and plenty."

“I love that you worry, but it’s time to become someone new. Now let’s get started.”

Someone new, what an interesting concept. Who would I be? Me, the little mouse who followed wherever I was led. Perhaps I was being too hard on myself. In truth I had always wanted to be like Elsie. Maybe now was the time to try.

After checking into the hotel, Elsie and I wandered through the town. It seemed as if we saw everything in less than an hour. After a restless night on my part, we started out the next morning to find work. I was excited to find a job at the store and Elsie started working at a cafe. It was a great way to find out that this was a town of fun and determined people.

Over the next couple of days Elsie and I exchanged information about the people we had seen and what there jobs were. Soon we knew most everyone in the area. I found I liked living here and Chicago and those memories began to fade away.

Still I was concerned for I started to see less and less of Elsie over the next few weeks. She had started coming in later and later. I didn’t want to say anything but I felt I couldn’t avoid the conversation any longer. People were saying such horrible things about her when they thought I wasn’t listening. It hurt me to hear, she was my friend.

That Thursday night was one I will never forget. I had stayed up later than usual so that when Elsie came in I could talk with her.

"Elsie, people are saying some really bad things about you." I blurted.

"So, why is that a problem?" was her quick reply.

Comments: During this rewrite I am working to smooth out some transitions and give more depth to the story and characters. Instead of posting the whole story I will email the updates of this first draft to anyone who would like to read what I am doing. You can request the updates by sending and email to me at dorismccraw@yahoo.com with story in the subject line.
I continue to hope this will inspire all of you to take the plunge and write a story for the www contest.

Sarah Rickman's New Website!

My NEW Web site is up!!!
Please go to: www.sarahbyrnrickman.com and check it out!

A couple of pages are still under construction, but the meat is up now. In a week or so I hope to add photos from Nancy Love’s induction into the Women In Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, March 15, in San Diego.

Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II was OFFICIALLY released March 20 – however it has been available from me and on Amazon etc since March 1.

I have a new e-mail address that you can use for ordering signed copies from me: sarah@sarahbyrnrickman.com

Or to buy on the open market, click on the buttons (Amazon, Barnes & Noble or my publisher) to order. Of course bookstores can order it. Because my niche is aviation and women in aviation, my audience is mostly found at aviation venues, aviation museums and their gift shops, and airshows, consequently I don’t know how generally it will be carried in stock by chain bookstores. Do me a favor. Tell them – and your local librarian – about “Nancy Love” and ask them to order it. Send them to the Website.

You-all have been talking about the dearth of Y/A books. Several of my “fans” have told me they think this book is marketable to Y/A-age readers – even though it is an adult biography -- because it is the story of a woman who proved she was made of the “right stuff” and made her mark in a male profession in the very male-dominated world of World War II America. How she did it is worth reading about.

Would appreciate comments from any of you who read it.

THANX!
Sarah Byrn Rickman

Shifting Publishing Paradigms - On the Cusp: In Conversation with Hal Zina Bennett

Hal Zina Bennett is the author of over 31 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including Write From The Heart: Unleashing The Power of Your Creativity. He has taught and coached writers for over 30 years. Among his success stories are dozens of best-selling authors and more than 200 published authors. He presents seminars throughout the United States and coaches writers one-on-one. We are fortunate to have him as our guest today discussing the shift in the publishing paradigm in the 21st century--JGR

Janet Riehl:

Hal, as we’ve discussed what’s happening in publishing today—from traditional mainstream publishing to small presses to university presses to Print on Demand (POD) technologies that author-assisted publishing makes use of, you’ve consistently argued that what we’re seeing here is a paradigm shift in how books are made and distributed, and by extension, how each of the players—author, publisher, and so on—are now regarded. Could you say more about this?

Hal Zina Bennett:

We need to be saying, "Look, technological change has always spearheaded new paradigms in every society they've touched. Think in terms of how the world was changed by Gutenberg's printing press, by the sewing machine, the cotton gin, railroads, the internal combustion engine, the splitting of the atom, chemistry and so on.

Technological change doesn't just change how Bibles are printed, fabric is produced and stuck together, how people move around on the planet, or how we produce energy and manipulate our biology. It totally changes how we all live, how we think—it produces huge consciousness shifts.

It's no different with Print on Demand (POD) or the digital production and dissemination of the written word. In the world of writing and publishing, POD and ebooks are spearheading huge shifts in our consciousness. Defending these technologies, and independent publishing, as being better or worse than the old paradigm represented by commercial publishing, misses the point by a country mile—or more.

Janet: What’s your sense about most of the deeper, more important questions we, as authors and publishers, need to be asking at this point?

Hal: We've got to look deeper at what it means to be able to produce and distribute the written word in these new ways. We can't just take the position that people took with the advent of the internal combustion engine, who argued in favor of the horse versus the horseless carriage. That's blind and unimaginative. It prevents us from exploring the wider scope of what these new technologies mean to us all. You know, these technologies are not going to go away. In fact, they are growing at a tremendous rate.

We need to dare to be prophetic. How does the technology change society? How is it revolutionizing the way we think and act and feel? What new creative freedoms do these technologies promise? What’s the downside—and I don’t mean simply comparing what’s self-published to what’s published by corporatized publishing companies.

Janet: Where does the dialogue need to go to become effective?

Hal: My position is that you've got to shift the dialog entirely, from a defensive posture, of saying indies are "better than," or that commercial publishing has its limits, too, to a more fully proactive position of envisioning a very new paradigm.

iUniverse's Diane Gedyman and Susan Driscol, in their book “Get Published!” have articulated a path that is at least pointing in the direction of the new paradigm.

Trouble is that a lot of people who don't know the realities of commercial publishing are basing their arguments for that old paradigm on sheer fantasies about publishing that way, and most of what's said is naive, uniformed, and mostly silly. Take it from someone who has made an excellent living working in that industry for the past 40 years!

The world is already moving way beyond comparison between traditional commercial publishing ala NYC and these new delivery systems for the printed word! Anybody still caught up in the old defenses of self-publishing versus commercial publishing is living in the dark ages.

Janet: What do you see as some of the advantages of this shift in the paradigm?

Hal: At the very least, POD and ebooks democratize the dissemination of the written word, in ways that are probably at least as dramatic as the way that Gutenberg's little invention made it possible for millions of regular people to own Bibles (at the very least) for the first time in human history. That's a huge shift of consciousness! There are some who still argue whether it's a good thing for people to be reading their Bibles without the "quality control" and the "learned interpretation" of the high priests, of course. I suppose the same could be said for those who argue that putting control of the printed word into the hands of multi-national corporations is a good thing.

Janet: There’s currently a debate that we can tag “quality control.” What would you say about that?

Hal: Is it a good thing to let just anybody publish their own books? What about quality control? Do we trust just anyone—rather than Bertelsman (a multi-national corporation) and his ilk—to screen what our society makes available to readers? Is it too idealistic to think that maybe it's a good thing for readers to have more choices?

Janet: What kind of trends do you see emerging?

Hal: The road ahead still isn't very clear with these new technologies, but just as with Gutenberg's printing press, the genie is out of the proverbial bottle, swimming around in the ethers, mixing it up in the collective consciousness in ways we are only barely beginning to realize. Watch carefully! Even commercial publishers are getting into POD to try out new writers, build their backlists and hang onto books whose sales fall below 500 or so copies per year.

As recently as six months ago, Publishers Weekly was predicting that ebooks were just a fad that was withering on the vine, and soon it would go away. Meanwhile, Sony has stepped into the picture with a pretty decent ebook reader and a large program that by now lists even front list books by mainstream publishers. A few months after that Amazon announced its Kindle program.

Amazon has invested over a billion dollars on Kindle, and they've signed up 60% of the big publishers, as has Sony for their ebook reader program. And Amazon also has launched a program inviting independent publishers to join the Kindle program.

Look carefully, There are over a dozen successful ebook distributors around, some of them, like www.ebookwise.com, doing very well with the rather old-fashioned (by now) Rocket ebook and Palm technologies.

And nearly every computer company is now making their aftermarket documentation available in Adobe Reader and Palm formats—with some introducing Kindle and Sony reader formats.

Janet: What does this paradigm shift mean for authors and readers?

Hal: It gives a creative boost and new freedom for authors. Readers having a greater range of choices. More widely, the world consciousness is profoundly affected by the explosion of independent publishing that these technologies produce. Take a look at the parallel changes in independent film-making, made possible by the digital revolution; independent films now dominate that industry. Similar things are happening in the music industry; the old guard has all but disappeared in the recorded music world. Will the same picture repeat itself in publishing? I think that corporate publishing will continue to dominate, and that’s okay. But I also see expanding education programs, and independent services such as editing, distribution, and PR, to help authors make the most of these technologies. Think potential parallels between publishing and the music world—with iPods, etc.—and the independent film world’s Netflix and Spiritual Cinema Circle. Independent distribution is happening for books on the Internet, and I don’t mean just with Amazon. Explore the ebook world on the Internet. There’s a whole world there that seems to be ignored by the media, even the independent media.

I think we’ll always have paper books. I love them, and most of the writers who are around today have a special love affair with printing on paper. It’s not easy to cozy up with an ebook reader, for example, but I’ve got to confess that I have a certain fondness for my “old fashioned” Rocket ebook reader. You know, there’s something rather nice about lounging in bed late at night, staring into the glow of its screen and reading a good mystery. And in that little handheld device I have, let’s see, ten other books that I can instantly switch to if my interest wanes on the one I’ve been reading. Hmm. You see, those simple pleasures are part of what’s driving the digital revolution.

Visit Janet Grace Riehl's blog "Riehl Life: Village Wisdom for the 21st Century" at http://www.riehlife.com for more thoughts and information about making connections through the arts, across cultures, generations, and within the family. You can also read sample poems and other background information from "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary" on Janet's website.

Expanded from: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Grace_Riehl

Sherry Monahan Shares a Taste of the Old West

Her footsteps meeting the creaky sidewalks of Tombstone took Sherry Monahan back in time. Back to the 1880s, where the West roared through town, in a place the Apache's once roamed. A streak of silver and a man named Ed Schieffelin brought the town into existence and ultimately into western history.

With the passion of a writer and
a hunger for tastes of the Old West, Monahan dove in and published her first book, Taste of Tombstone: A Hearty Helping of History, in 1998. In 2008 the book sports a new cover and a few new updated items to sniff out. Inside the pages, she travels back in time to a place that was rough and tumble, but had a slice of refinement in it's French cuisine and fresh oysters. She shares what shaped the town, from it's wild cowboys, gunfights and taverns to it's local - more refined - inhabitants. She even adds a few recipes from the same era.

Sherry's research has taken her to new places, which includes consulting on a western movie and working on several series for The History Channel, including Wild West Tech. She writes a feature column for the Tombstone Times and is a contributing editor for True West Magazine.

Check out Sherry's freelance work along with her other books about the Old West, a bit of western history and some recipes to try at home. You can learn all about this Women Writing the West member at www.wildwestinfo.com.

Blogging Basics 101: Getting Started and Keeping Going

Four generations of Riehl-Thompson-McCarthy authors

Blogging basics on how easy it is to get started, but how it takes passion to stay going. Mission drives your blog to stay the course.


1) Blogging experience

Q: How long have you been blogging?

A: My blog "Riehl Life: Village Wisdom for the 21st Century" is the face page (that is the first page you see) for my website. There are static pages on the sidebar with sample poems and talks at readings based on my book "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary." Right after my book came out in 2006, I set up the website www.sightlinesbook.com. Last winter, I changed the domain over to www.riehlife.com and started my blog. Riehlife's blog birthday is January 13, 2007.

2) Starting a blog

Q. Was it difficult to get started?

A. No, it's not hard to get started. The difficult thing is to have a focus and to keep going. If you're going to have a blog, you want to maintain it. While my blog is in fact my website and took some doing to get designed and up and running, it's also possible to get blog going for free in five minutes on some of the blogging sites.

3) Amount of technical knowledge needed

Q: Do you have to be a real computer whiz to blog?

A: Absolutely not. If you can send an email, you can blog. There is a bit of a learning curve, but truly, it's not overly difficult and it's pretty intuitive. The technical side is the least challenging part of blogging in my experience.

4) Blogging frequency

Q: Do you blog every day?

A: Mostly, yes. I do my best to have something up everyday. Usually on Sunday I have a quotation. Recently I've been relaxing a bit, but I know there are regular readers who enjoy the content of my blog. I view Riehlife as a magazine I edit that includes content by others as
well as myself. I don't want to let my readers down.

Since my blog is Village Wisdom, in some sense it is a collaborative blog, though shaped and run by one person. I feature authors, published and unpublished on my blog. When Women Writing the West members have a little something they'd like to see in print, I frequently feature their words. I've published several folks like that, and it was fun. Susan Tweit and I started a blogging duet this winter and have had several exchanges that folks have really enjoyed.

5) Focus

Q: Do you have a particular subject in your blog?

A: My theme is "connection." More specifically my mission is to create connections through all the arts (writing, visual and performing) and across cultures and generations. I frequently feature the work of my 91-year-old father on my blog and both he and my readers get a kick
out of his wisdom and wit.

6) Audience

Q: Do you have a target "audience" when you blog?

A: Currently I'm getting around 500 visits per day from all over the world. I write my blog for people with similar sensibilities and yearnings. Somehow, that's created a niche for me.

7) Benefits

Q: What is your favorite thing about blogging?

A: Just as the theme of my blog is connection, that's also the part I enjoy most: using Riehlife as a tool for connecting thoughts, disciplines, and people. Since I'm in St. Louis I've been doing a
series on African-American fine artists and that's been helpful in forming friendships here and becoming part of the arts community.

Folks blog for all kinds of reasons. Some use their blogs as a marketing tool, others as an on-line diary (web-log = blog) without a lock, others for for friends and family, and so on.

The most important thing you can do before you begin you blog is to understand what your purpose and mission is.

Riehlife is a labor of love that shares experiences and encourages good writing and thoughtful response. It is possible to make money from your blog, that that's a different kettle of words simmering on a different fire.

__________________

Visit Janet Grace Riehl's blog "Riehl Life: Village Wisdom for the 21st Century" at http://www.riehlife.com for more thoughts and information about making connections through the arts, across cultures, generations, and within the family. You can also read sample poems and other background information from "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary" on Janet's website.

Expanded from http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Grace_Riehl

The Runaway Friend - now available!

I'm delighted to announce the arrival of my latest children's mystery, The Runaway Friend, from American Girl.

Kirsten Larson has been living on the Minnesota frontier for only a few weeks when her neighbor and friend, Erik Sandahl, disappears. Erik had promised to help the Larsons at harvest time, and he owes Uncle Olav money. Has he run out on his promises? Everyone seems to think so--except Kirsten. Can she figure out what's happened to her friend?

Researching and writing this book brought back lots of happy memories of my years spent working as an interpreter and curator at Old World Wisconsin, a large outdoor museum that preserves and celebrates the state's immigrant history. The Runaway Friend focuses on a Swedish girl's experiences in 1854; the oldest home preserved at Old World Wisconsin is the Norwegian Fossebrekke house, restored to its 1845 appearance. (That's me in 1982, sitting in the Fossebrekke house door.)

I gleaned the mystery elements from period newspapers, and accounts written by immigrants and travelers. Something that really caught my attention were several personal ads published by husbands, labeling their wives as runaways and prohibiting anyone from providing them shelter or aid. I longed to know what happened to those women.

To learn more about this book, or any of my other work, please visit www.kathleenernst.com

Invitation to Oregon Writers

Join Jane Kirkpatrick for Brunch at 10:00 AM on March 8 as she does a special presentation honoring Women in History at the Eugene Hilton 66 E. 6th Ave, Eugene, Oregon. For reservations, send a check made out to AAUW to Ardith Hinman, 236 Greenvale Dr., Springfield, OR 97477 by March 1. The cost is $18.00 and Jane will have books with her. This special event is sponsored by the Eugene-Lane Branch of the American Association of University Women.

Short Story;the ending

"I won't leave without Oscar!"

"Then you will never leave," I heard my abductor say. Then there was the sound of a pistol being cocked and realizing what was happening I jumped up to go to where Oscar was bound. Too late! The sound of the pistol firing completely took my will away. In the background I heard Albert shout.

"You fool!"

The next thing I knew Elsie was throwing me out of the way as the pistol was being turned toward me. There was the horrid sound of the pistols firing yet again, but I felt nothing.

Then there was another shot, and I saw my abductor falling. Struggling to my feet I saw that Elsie was lying next to where she had pushed me down.

"Ruth, I am so sorry. Please forgive me, you were my friend."

"Don't worry. You will always be my friend. We just had a difference of opinion. You will soon be better and we will laugh about this."

"Somehow I don't think so. Just bury me out away from everyone. They didn't think much f me so I don't think I would be happy near all of them."

Tears were streaming down my face as I held my friend. She smiled and then was gone.

Looking around I saw that I was the only one still alive. Gathering myself I went out and rode back to town.

I honored Elsie's wish and buried her out away from everything. I even left the name off of the headstone. I think she would approve. I stayed in Silver Cliff until the town started dying away after the railroad only came as far as WestCliff. I found out that Albert was trying to take over one of the mines and Oscar had found out about it. So much for so little.

Comment: This is how I put together a short story. The only difference is I usually get this first draft (which this is) done in a day or so. When I found I would be telling the story of Elsie and Ruth I looked up the time tables of Silver Cliff and Chicago. The Chicago Fire was 1871 and Silver Cliff came into being around 1879. I also read a bit about the Wet Mountain Valley and the town of Silver Cliff. There was a picture of an unmarked grave out away from everything. When I saw that picture I pretty much knew how the story would end, just not how I would get there.

Over the next couple of weeks I will just let this first draft percolate then I will start in on the rewrites, fixing dialogue, adding informations etc. I thank all of you for following along on this journey. I will let you know when the second draft is done if anyone would like to see it.

Thanks again and I hope this may help some of you write your own first draft. Unlike film the first draft can be fixed in post.

Short Story

Comments: In order to move the story forward and create tension I decided to have Ruth and Elsie part ways. Since the story is being told from Ruth's view point it is her feelings and observations the reader sees. Since this is just a first draft the goal is to get the story down then add the details and later.

Now for the continuations of the story.

That is just what I did. The thing I had learned when Elsie and I parted was that it did no good to fight against what was. The thing to do was be alert and act when the time arrived. Although Elsie had helped me throuth the fire in Chicago, those eight years ago, that had cost so many their lives and livelihoods, I realized at 19 it was time for me to grow up.

We traveled some distance from town and came upon a run down shack. My captor took me into the shack where I say Oscar, bound with blood around his lips.

"Oscar, what is going on? You beast why are you doing this?"

"Why did you bring her here?" Albert said.

"She was snooping around his place. I thought it would be best to find out what she knew."

"Well the damage is done now. Put her next to Oscar."

At that moment I would have given my chances as slim to none for getting out of this mess, but I felt slim was worth it. I made a dash for the door and had almost gotten to the horse when an arm grabbed me around the waist. I struggled and then felt the slam of a fist against my jaw and I lost track of everything.

Coming to I heard Elsie's voice berating Albert and everyone concerned. "You idiots, if you hurt her anymore I will kill all of you." I saw her face above mine and in a gentle voice Elsie said, "Ruth are you all right? I am so sorry this has happened to you."

Turning to the others she demanded, "I suppose you made sure no one followed or saw you."

"It all happened so quickly, but I didn't see anyone around," my former captor replied.

"Well, we will just have to let her go," Elsie said.

"I won't go without Oscar," I said.

"Don't be a fool, take this chance while you have it," replied Elsie.

Short Story

After checking into the hotel, Elsie and I wandered through the town. It seemed as if we had seen everything in less than an hour. The next day we set about finding work. I found a job at the store and Elsie started working at a cafe. I found I enjoyed meeting and helping people.

I saw less and less of Elsie over the next few days. She had started coming in later and later. I did not want to say anything, for she had done so much for me, but finally I felt I could not avoid the conversation any longer.

"Elsie, you know I wouldn't say anything, but people are saying some really bad things about you."

"So, why is that a problem?"

"Elsie, they say you are seeing Albert Carson, and he is a married man."

"Ruth, I am glad you have brought that up. Yes, I am seeing Albert and I need for you to move out of this room."

"What are you talking about. You can't afford the room on your own, and I can't afford one by my self either."

"I don't have to worry about affording anything. It is time you went out on your own and let me live my life without having to worry about you. Please be gone by the time I get back."

I was stunned. Here we had made all these plans together and now she just told me to leave. I gathered my few things while walking around in a daze. Then I became angry and as I left the room and passed the front desk I informed the clerk I was leaving.

"Do you want your money back, the room was paid a week in advance.?"

"No, Elsie is staying."

"Then I am afraid I won't be able to give you anything back."

"That's fine."

Now that I had left, I just stood there holding my bag and staring at the street. Finally I started moving and went to the store. Mr. Jensen looked at my bags and then at my face.

"So, you finally made the smart move and left. I didn't want to say anything, but if you had stayed there your reputation would have taken a turn for the worse."

"Yes, but I don't have much saved and now where shall I stay?"

"Matilda has an extra room in her place. Why don't you ask if you could rent it for awhile?"

I thought it over and decided that Matilda's might not be a bad idea. She was the school teacher and the school might like having a bit of extra money coming in.

After checking with the school board it was decided I could rent the room. It was a good move on my part. Soon Matilda and I had worked out the doing of things. I also started teaching music to the students one afternoon a week. That made my time pass very quickly.

I would see Elsie riding or walking with her 'friend' Albert, but she always avoided looking at me, let alone speaking. I guess she felt since she was spending time with one of the mine owners she had no time for common people. Still I missed her.

For myself, I had met Oscar. He was a gentle and funny man. He worked in one of the mines. On Sundays we would go for rides to explore the area. I found I not only loved the town, but the whole area. The mountains no longer oppressed me and the sky was so lovely. So my life went, until the Sunday Oscar did not show up as we had planned.

I waited for four hours, but he did not show up. I finally went to his shack. He was not there, but I noticed signs of a struggle. The next thing I knew I was being grabbed from behind and dragged off. I tried screaming, but the hand covering my mouth cut off any sound.

"Stop struggling, it will do you no good," the voice said.

Receiving the cover of a book is always exciting, but the act of creating that book has always been what I enjoy the most. To think that the words we write are read by the many or the few is by far the best part of being a writer. How strange that what we write may influence the readers we attract is scary too. How careful we must be to "get the words right." How important that becomes as we create our stories. Our heroes must truly be heroes and not some cut out paper figure. Each of them, as we put them on paper, must represent the best of us, or at least those who attempt to be the best. That is a frightening challenge we all face. May each of us be up to the task.

Short Story Continued

As we came into Silver Cliff I did look at those mountains. They were tall, taller than the buildings in Chicago. They looked so much more substantial than anything I had seen. They could be a guidepost to the future or crush you with their majesty. As for the town it was so small. I voiced my concern to Elsie, "How are we going to make living here?"

"We will just have to find work. You could put your music education to work and teach others how to play an instrument or sing."

"How do you know people would even want to spend money on a luxury when it looks like most people here are just getting by. Look at those houses and where are we going to stay?"

"Listen Ruth, we made the decision to come out here and now that we are here we will just make the best of it."

As usual Elsie was right, but I did have my misgivings. I really did wonder how we, two single women were going to make a go of it here. This town was so small, so new. What would people think of us.

"Well Ruth, get ready to take on a new adventure," Elsie said as she jumped from our coach.

The first glimpse I had was of men starring at Elsie, she did that to them, and she just smiled and turned to get her bags. I followed close behind and we went toward what appeared to be a hotel. As we entered an oriental gentleman was walking out and nodded a greeting.

"See everyone is friendly, you have nothing to worry about."

"You know Elsie, every time you say that I have the strangest feeling that I should be worrying and plenty."

Comments: As I have thought of these two during the last week or so I felt that I needed to continue the friendship but add the difference of opinion the two had about the experience they were having. At the same time, I am also working to try to add some forwarning of what may come. How indeed were they to make a go of it in this new town. Come back soon and I may have the answer.