Christmas Cheer = Editing and Cooking

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah,  and may 2017 give us some relief from 2016!  (I never want to discuss politics again).

I am spending this holiday editing my new book "Canyon Flower" with a piece of new software I found online called "ProWritingAid.com."  It's a little marvel of an editor's aid, checking overused words, "sticky" sentences, grammar, adverbs, etc. etc.  I am SO pleased with it.  And it's given me plenty of rewriting to do over the vacation.

Besides editing and curling up on the couch for binges of TV series (like OA), I have done some cooking too.

For gifts this year, it was chocolate truffles.

For Christmas Dinner, it is Chicken Paprikash with nockrl (or as they said in my stepfather's family: haloopsi.)

Free Memoir & Historical Fiction Contests (Writers' Digest)

"Loose Fish" is on its way to a free contest -- nothing ventured, nothing gained.

28th Free "Dear Lucky Agent" Contest

Judged by Jennifer Wills, agent of The Seymour Agency, it promises to be a step for some lucky winners to get published. Hey, give it a go!

Flash Fiction in FriGG Literary Journal

"FLAT ON MY FACE" by Beverly A. Jackson <--Clicky"

A Tip for Writers re Editing Your Manuscript

When you are doing that all important editing, after you have a rough draft in place, it seems reasonable to be going through the manuscript many times, sometimes with the help of others' critiques, sometimes with fresh ideas for development. At any rate, almost all writers know the drill. We fix, we move, we check, we re-write, ad nauseum.

Here's a new twist! Because my eyes are poor, I find reading on a Kindle (where the font can be made larger, and is backlit in a way that my eyes are soothed) much easier than reading a computer screen. So I started transferring my documents to Kindle via Amazon's free service. (each Amazon customer has their own special email address). It takes two seconds to download a document.

Here's the kicker! Something must happen in the brain, because I find that the manuscript has a whole different "way of being" in the Kindle format. My EYES READ IT DIFFERENTLY than on a computer screen, and therefore I find many, many, many more edits that need fixing. This may sound peculiar, but I announced it to my writing group, and one by one they too are trying it, and are simply astounded that it is a fact. Editing via Kindle gives you different and better results than editing the usual way.

I can't expect you to take my word for it. Just try it!

(instructions for downloading "Documents" to your Kindle are available on Amazon. It's a pretty simple process.)

Glenn E. Miller Nominated for Pushcart Prize

I'm so proud to report that Glenn Erick Miller, a member of the North Naples/Bonita Springs Advanced Writing Group, was just nominated for the Pushcart Prize by R.K.VR.Y. Quarterly Literary Journal for his flash, "WEIGHTLESS".

Notes on How I Spend My Time

I figure I'm going to just write for the next four years until it's over.

I worked on my memoir LOOSE FISH from 1999 to 2015. That is a good 16 years. That took me through DoubleEw Bush and Obama.

It took me from June 2015 to October 2015 to write BLUE LAKE . That is just 5 months, maximum. Easy Obama.

CANYON FLOWER started in November 2015 until November 2016, so almost one year to the day. and more Obama.

Why does it matter? I'm not totally sure, but I want to keep tabs on this kind of data for future reference.

Maybe it's a question of nature or nurture - a glimpse at posterity. Ha ha ha.

I've published poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and some creative non-fiction. I published a chapbook of poetry. And now it's time to find a sympatico agent and get these books off the hard drive.

I'D BETTER COME UP WITH A REALLY GOOD STORY FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

Canyon Flower completed!

I am thrilled to announce that I have just completed "Canyon Flower" (my second novel and third book)

CANYON FLOWER (65K), a work of literary fiction edged with magical realism. The novel, set in the spectacular red canyons of Moab, Utah, is written in three sections from three points of view to unravel the ‘Rashomon effect’ of subjective and objective realities.

SKYLAR Lancaster and Jango Norton work as guides for a white-water rafting outfit running the notorious Cataract Canyon rapids. Skylar moved to Moab after her father died from oil fracking toxins. She is comforted by Jango but wants more than friendship from him. They are dedicated to keeping the Canyonlands free of environmental pollution, but find their newest rafters strange and possibly dangerous.

MICHAEL Shimizu, a Japanese-American investment banker, plans a rafting vacation as a side excursion after covertly scouting real estate on behalf of an oil and gas company determined to mine in Moab, where drilling is unwelcome. He and his colleague invite two Kyoto geishas to accompany them. Michael plans to propose marriage to Kimi, one of the geishas, with whom he is obsessed.

ISHI Atero, the other Japanese geisha, has clairvoyant visions and grapples with incest in her past. She is the conduit for a chorus of ancients: Anasazi Indians, ancestral Japanese kami, and nature’s own inexplicable forces who shadow the group’s voyage down the river. Michael’s business associate, Buyo, gives Ishi a reason for reassessing her despair and her life.

When the intentions and cultures of the group diverge–tragedy lies in wait. Whether it’s murder, suicide or a grievous accident depends on who is doing the telling: Skylar, Michael or Ishi.

-------------------------------------------------------- The query process (for representation) will begin soon!

New Flash Fiction Review - Micro Flash "133 Words I Lost in My Memoir"

                                                 

  133 Words I Lost in my Memoir ---CLICK TO READ

NEW FLASH FICTION REVIEW - AUGUST 2016

MICRO FLASH (133 words limit)

"Kickin Bossa Nova" at Jellyfish Review

Flash Fiction at JellyFish Review ---Click to read

Another little flash pubbed with one of my fave ezines.  For their "Bad Sex" series.

Literary Reading - June 6, 2016

Euro Pianos Naples extended an invitation to the North Naples/Bonita Springs Advanced Writing Group to provide a literary evening, in their efforts to promote the arts in Naples. Beverly Jackson and Cary Barbor were the only two members available on a day of tornado warnings, and read they did.

Cary read an excerpt from Bob Erickson's novel, on his behalf, "Murder in Packingtown," and read two essays of her own, which were wonderfully received.

Bev read a prose poem, a standard poem and a piece of flash fiction.

Wine and finger foods were provided on the buffet table, and the guests (about fifteen of them)stayed and talked, an exhuberant and appreciative audience.

Our hostess, Sunny Reuter, the V.P. of Euro Pianos Naples, was pleased with the turnout, and said we'll do it again!

Photographs by Ivan Seligman. Thank you for them and for attending!

A Home of Our Own (Writer's Group)

The Writer's Group discovered a little library nestled in the back of the Club House where we had been meeting (but were frequently interrupted by visitors and residents ambling in and out). It is so nice to have the privacy and "book-ness" of this cozy room.

Doug Williams

Cary Barbour and Michelle Caffrey

Cary, Michelle and Bev Jackson

Glenn Miller

Doug & Glenn

We are missing Bob Erickson, our sixth member who is globe trotting (Canada, Arizona) at the moment, but we hope to see him soon!

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New Flash in Jellyfish Review (Memoir CNF excerpt)

Editor Christopher James says: "Beverly A. Jackson wrote our first ever piece (Pushcart-nominated, by the way), and set the bar so high for all who've since come, so we love her! It was a great moment, therefore, to read her story Dusty Hoffman Isn't Greek. A cool glimpse at Dustin (and Beverly!) from way back when."

DUSTY HOFFMAN ISN'T GREEK ---Click to read

New literary venue, Jellyfish Review, debuts with my Flash Fiction

My flash fiction piece "I Remember" was chosen as the introductory story for the new Jellyfish Review. I'm honored and thrilled.

Nominated for 2015 Pushcart Prize

JELLYFISH REVIEW
Clicky

Another Writer's Generous Share

The process of querying literary agents is a long and tedious one. Mainly because so few of them respond; but also because the rejections (if you are lucky enough to receive an actual rejection) are often form letters, cold and impersonal. When a writer gets an agent to request a full or even a partial manuscript because their interest is piqued by the query, it feels like Christmas! It's a lonely and hugely time consuming process, and it is easy to get discouraged.

In my reserach this morning, I found the webpage of another writer who shared her experience, and she has just signed with an agent. It is so well written, so generous and supportive, that I wanted to share it here:

One Writer's Journey to Getting her novel Published

The entire website is interesting, but for the purposes of queries, here are her stats:

I had a relatively poor response rate. For those who don’t know, it’s not unusual to never get a response from agents. I got quite a lot of silence. I ended up with several requests, though the reception was hardly overwhelming. For the record, here are the numbers:

75 queries sent

2 partial requests, rejected

1 full, rejected

1 partial that turned into a full, rejected

1 partial that turned into a full, that turned into a revise-and-resubmit, that turned into another revise-and-resubmit, that turned into an offer of representation

Welcome!

This is the professional "home" away from home of Beverly Jackson. Welcome, and hope you'll make yourself comfortable, feel welcome to peruse the files (see links above) and leave comments or questions, should they arise.

This website has evolved out of the Loose Fish blog which is not a dedicated author's website, but a general blog that includes recipes, gossip and nonsense. You can find it at THE LOOSE FISH
It gets its name from the memoir but more from the fact that I consider myself a "loose fish" in the ocean of life. It's a Moby Dick reference to being a whale who is "loose" and doesn't belong to any pursuing ships. A fast fish has a harpoon in it. Not me.

MY WRITING PROJECTS:

BLUE LAKE

I have just finished a Suspense novel set in a former logging village in the Pacific Northwest,(named Blue Lake) and I am querying agents at the moment. So I shall be tracking progress and the project through the process here.

LOOSE FISH

My other book, a personal memoir entitled "Loose Fish" is also seeking representation, but is being rewritten soon to a novel format, for commercial consideration.