Reflections - Thrills, Chills, and Quills: A Postcard Journal
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| JW's Costume for "The Bells" |
I hope you are enjoying school and have plenty of time with your friends, especially Austin. I wonder if you read any Edgar Allan Poe in English class.
In May, I spent four days at a writer’s conference. I learned about writing elevator pitches and marketing books. I also had fun with friends. At Saturday night’s “Poe-tic” party, people dressed in costumes related to Edgar Allan Poe. I didn’t like his scary stories when I was your age. I still don’t. So I dressed for his poem “The Bells” which has lovely musical sounds. Tinkling, silver sleigh bells. Mellow, golden wedding bells. Loud, brazen alarm bells. Tolling iron bells.
I adorned the green medieval gown that I wore to my daughter’s wedding with jingle bells—silver tacked to a headband, green threaded on shoe laces, and teensy brown scrunched on an armband. They tinkled. But even better, my father in-law had lived on a farm when he was your age. He’d saved their sleigh bells. They ring in rich harmonies. I attached them to a satin ribbon. If I pinned the ribbon to the dress’s shoulder, the weight of the bells would rip the fabric. Not a good plan. I could have wrapped the ribbon around my neck and let both ends dangle. But the weight gradually tightened the ribbon around my throat. Would I become a victim like one of Poe’s characters? I didn’t take the chance. A friend tied the ribbon to my sash. The bells rang. I could breath and mingle with my friends. I couldn’t sneak up on anyone, but everyone smiled at the music I created.
Love,
Janet
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| Party Skeleton |
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| Debbie Reynolds |
I hope the rains are nurturing your patio garden yet allowing you time to sit out and enjoy your plants. I also hope Norma is gaining strength and more mobility every day.
This May, I attended a writers conference in Pittsburgh. Since my nature story collection is 85% complete, I focused on marketing workshops. I took classes on distilling book content into elevator pitches, back of the book copy, and reviews. “Squish . . . Make every word count . . . Use active verbs . . . Dump wishy-washy adjectives and adverbs.” But the harder part is selling.
Debbie Reynolds taught a workshop on handselling, or selling from a table at events. Deb and I became friends at my ZOOM writing group meetings and at an Erie conference. She is Assistant Editor for Sunbury Press, their Catamount Imprint. If her editor accepts my book, she will be my editor. She’s a hoot. At a party Thursday night, she bent us over laughing about her running away from home last month and leading her wacky writing group in a forester’s office with heads of “defunct” animals mounted on the wall. Her workshop was also funny though she gave great tips. Dress comfortably and define your persona. Place a catchy item in the middle of the table to draw people in. Think of it as offering a gift not asking for money. If it’s torture, sell on line. Most hopeful, Deb sells Catamount books at events. I would buy anything from her.
At the workshop, my friend Christa nudged me. “We can share a table at farmers’ markets. I’ll bring my produce. You bring your book. I love your stories. I’ll sell your book for you!” Christa’s glowing face and Deb’s words inspired me. Hopefully, I’ll publish with Deb.
Love,
Janet
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| Entrance Garden for the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott |
If you want to see all nine postcards in the Thrills, Chills, and Quills Postcard Journal, use this link: https://sites.google.com/site/wellswoodpa/vacations/thrills-chills-and-quills
The postcard addressed to Seth includes a link to an audio version of a science fiction story written by Timons Esaias, a favorite instructor of mine. In “Go. Now. Fix.” a nearly obsolete panda pillow saves lives despite its failure to meet prime directives. Though the story will dazzle children, brief moments might be inappropriate. Please listen before offering the story to your young ones. The second story on the Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine’s January/February 2020 audio tape is not a children’s story.
