Slate and Style

The Magazine of the National Federation of the Blind Writers' Division
Winter, 2018

Editor: Shelley J Alongi
Format Editor: Robert Gardner
Poetry Editor: Barbara Hammel 
Web site: http://writers.nfb.org/index.html
Email: s-and-s@nfbnet.org 
Alternate Email: Queenofbells@outlook.com 
Ph: (714)525-9632

Table of Contents

Editor's Musings, by Shelley J Alongi			 Page 2

Notes from the President, by Myrna Duprè Badgerow	  Page 2

Is the Market Over Saturated: Memoirs Part 2, 		  Page 3
by Jack Smith, The Writer Magazine 

Notes on the Presentation on My Practical Experience 	  Page 6
on Writing, by Todd Elzey

Member Feature: Shelley J Alongi 				  Page 9

My Writing Journey, by Myrna Duprè Badgerow		 Page 10

Writers Resource, by Shelley J Alongi			 Page 11

The Officer and his Sweetheart, by Trish Hubschman	 Page 12

Slate and Style Guidelines					 Page 17

Join the Division						 Page 18

Note: besides going to a specific page number for a story/article/poem, the beginning can be accessed by searching for ***

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Editor's Musings
Shelley J. Alongi
Many years ago while living with and baby sitting the children of my good friends in California, we established a holiday tradition which I find myself enjoying once again. we would take time either at my place of her's to sit down at night, turn on the Christmas tree lights, as different styles of holiday music played in the background. Watching the lights was a wonderful way to relax. Life has moved both of us on to different states. The children have begun to marry and pursue their own lives. This year I have reinstituted the tradition of sitting down and watching the Christmas lights with holiday music in the background. The last few years have been transitional ones for me as I settle into a new life with its hopes, promises and challenges. After several years of not watching my own tree lights, returning to this tradition of just enjoying what my hands have constructed, i.e., the erecting of the tree and its slow transformation into a red and green extravaganza has anchored me in an ever-changing world. Imagining their twinkle and flash has somehow brought a sense of tranquility and enjoyment. Sometimes the reinstituting of an established tradition can stabilize us and help us look ahead. So it is as we close out one year of writing adventures and enter upon another that perhaps taking time to do something which has brought pleasure in the past will help us all forge on to the writing challenges of another year. 

This issue of Slate and Style is a glimpse in to each of our writing journeys. We begin with a reminder of the coming 2019 Writers' Division contest. We learn of some opportunities for introducing ones poetry to the writing world. We look at what publishers have to say about what it takes to get noticed when offering memoirs, and we learn about one person's practical experiences with writing and glean information from his advice about pursuing writing opportunities. It's on to the third place winner from the 2018 writing contest with an adventure as told by a grandchild. In another story, we get a lighthearted look at a life-long relationship. We have no poetry offerings this issue.  

On a new front, I am introducing a member feature column and reintroducing us to a long-ago column, the Writer's Resource. Enjoy the issue and your own holiday traditions. As we all skate toward the conclusion of December with our many obligations and approach the next year, lets all look forward to ways to enrich the magazine and each others' writing journeys. Till next time, enjoy your own holiday traditions, keep writing and keep dreaming!  

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Notes from the President
Myrna Duprè Badgerow

Hello everyone and welcome to our winter edition of Slate and Style!  Hoping all have a fabulous holiday season ahead and may you all be safe in any upcoming travels.  

Please be on the lookout for our upcoming Writers’ Division Writing Contest as the information will be coming to you soon!  

I also would like to invite all our poetry writers to please send me some of their already written poetry.  I read poetry on an online poetry show (through Facebook) every Sunday and I would love to read some of our fantastic writers!  Not only does it get your name out there but it will also showcase our Writer’s Division!  Please send any poems to my email address kajuncutie926@aol.com. I would be so honored to read all of my poetry friends.  Again have a great holiday season… Until next time!

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Is the Market Over Saturated: Memoirs Part 2
by Jack Smith

]Editor's Note: In the fall issue we published the first part of Jack Smith’s article where those who have written memoirs provide tips and tricks for writing yours. In this issue, we conclude his article with his thoughts from publishers of memoirs.]

Publishers speak out

Is the memoir market over saturated?
Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents: I don’t talk in terms of saturated or over-saturated. I do not hear specifically from editors, “The memoir market is saturated.” What I hear is, “We tried a book similar to yours, and we loved it, we all were passionate about it, but it didn’t work. Therefore we can’t buy yours.” So I would never say saturated or unsaturated.

Walter Cummins, co-publisher, Serving House Books: I believe the memoir market mirrors the fiction market. Certain subjects and approaches tend to become overdone in terms of saturation and redundancy. But even a very familiar subject can find an outlet if it offers original approaches and perspectives.

Raphael Kadushin, University of Wisconsin Press: Yes. We get a lot of memoirs, not only from agents and writers that we know, but also from people who arena’t really writers. With their Twitter accounts and blogs, people are so used to telling their own life story that they think it’s almost an obligation to write it. So a lot of the memoirs we receive are from people who never really thought of writing before. Most of the submissions we get are first-time books.

What are your best tips for selling a memoir? What are you looking for now?
Gail Hochman: I’m not looking for this, or that, or the other thing. But if I love the way something is written, then I may be interested enough to pursue it. What I do hear from editors is that they are not looking for the classic memoir about your drunken parents or drug-addicted spouse. I often find editors rolling their eyes at the classic abuse memoir type of thing. What I find is that if somebody writes something fresh – alive, new, creative, we haven’t seen it before – it has a chance. In memoir, voice and story are everything. Even if we’ve seen the story once or twice, if the book creates characters who come alive in a way that glues us to our chairs, then that book has a chance. The problem is that every person who writes a memoir honestly thinks his book will glue readers to their chairs.

Walter Cummins: Because Serving House Books is a literary publisher, the strength of the writing matters most. The quality of the presentation is usually more important than, say, just the unusualness of the subject matter. We’ve turned down manuscripts about sensational subjects that might inspire TV specials because the bizarre isn’t literature. In most cases, good writing is inseparable from deeper and fresher insights into oft-told tales. Consider how many great novels and stories explore love. Why can’t a great memoir offer an original take on a common subject?

Raphael Kadushin: I’m not interested in memoirs that focus on identity politics. What I’m really looking for now are beautifully written memoirs that have some universal resonance. That’s what I think is the problem with most memoirs – there is nothing universal there. It’s rather just the writer’s own story, which is ultimately boring. Unless there’s some poetry or beauty to a memoir, it’s really just another blog.

Are there any overdone or overpitched life stories?
Gail Hochman: The bottom-line is that the conventional stories – like my parents were abusive, or I was locked in a closet for the first 20 years of my life, or I didn’t know my spouse was gay until so-and-so happened – we’ve seen all that before, so of course they’re over-pitched. But when the text reads staggeringly well and makes you see the world that you thought you knew in a somewhat different way, then that’s a different matter. I do a lot of memoirs. I love memoirs. I’ve had projects that I’ve worked on many times. I’ve sent them out in five different drafts. My advice would be to give the book more of a driving center, a premise which then has the arc of a truly dramatic story. I still often hear the same response from editors. And the response usually is not, “There’s something wrong with this book,” or “Here’s a specific problem which needs to be fixed.” The response usually is, “I really liked it. I think XYZ was done so well, but we don’t think we can break it out in a competitive memoir market.” So for a good book, that’s what I find is the most recurring reason for rejection: “We don’t think we can make this a break-out book. So we cannot take it on.” And it is heartbreaking, because some of these books are fabulous.

Walter Cummins: I’ve been arguing that quality of presentation can make any life story compelling and memorable. On the other hand, memoirs that fall into the category of stories for story’s sake can wear a topic thin. Sad as they are, trauma of abused childhood or addiction can be interchangeable if they just present the details of what happened in a way that makes one memoir blur with those that preceded it.

Raphael Kadushin: Yes. The genre is packed with substance-abuse memoirs as well as memoirs of abusive childhoods, sexual abuse, sexual harassment – you know, all the tropes, usually beginning with a decline and fall and then some kind of road to recovery or rehab. Just way too many of these. It’s not that I’m downplaying these problems – they’re the real thing. It’s just that you can tell these stories so many times, and then they lose their power. So in a way, all these stories are really in some ways mitigating against the power of these stories.

What makes a memoir stand out? What makes one truly great?
Gail Hochman: Editors want something fresh. They want something that does not seem derivative. They want something that does not seem like we’ve seen it a thousand times before. But what makes it stand out is usually the writing.

Walter Cummins: I’ve already emphasized the potential power of the words on the page for a good literary memoir that stands out. The great memoirs go beyond literary excellence to truly illuminate much more than an aspect of the life of the writer but lead readers to encounter something fundamental about all our lives, about what it means to be human and to live among others.

Raphael Kadushin: It just comes down to one thing: the quality of the writing. Writing should be left to writers. The sense these days that everyone is a writer is just insulting. I think the problem is that too many non-writers attempt a memoir because everyone can pitch their own life story, and then social media embraces the ideas that every life story is worth sharing. Everyone assumes you need talent to be a musician or an artist, but somehow people dismiss the fact that you actually need talent to write well.

Are hybrids (that blend personal truths with other nonfiction elements) easier to sell because they’re “special,” having more legs than a straight-up personal story?
Gail Hochman: The most important thing to know when looking at publishing these days is that it’s a business. I’m not a business person. I’m a reader, an editor. But it’s a business. Books are categorized – on paperbacks you’ll find this on the back – as Literature, Self-Help, or History, or whatever, so that the bookstore can put it in the store in the right place. If a book is so much of a hybrid that you can’t even figure out where it goes, then it won’t go in the store very well, and no one will find it. So no, I do not usually represent or embrace hybrids. What I find is that personal stories sometimes allow the writer to find his voice, and sometimes a writer will blend various elements. It’s probably a matter of the context or the balance – let’s say the balance. It should be clearly categorizable. If it’s part memoir, part how-to, and part history book, you have set yourself up to fail.

Walter Cummins: Perhaps not easier to sell, but having the possibility of receiving more attention because they can embody original techniques for incorporating different or unique material. That attention may lead to sales.

Raphael Kadushin: They’re more interesting in the sense that they aren’t just personal. The memoirs we’ve done that are the more pertinent ones and that got more attention weren’t just a personal memoir but were something that related to history. For instance, we published a memoir of a gay Jewish man who went through the Holocaust, and we’ve published some Latino memoirs that reflect Latino culture and the conundrum of living in two different cultures. Those books resonate in larger ways than just the personal story. In addition to the quality of the writing, that is something I always look for.

How can the writer make the memoir special for the readers instead of being “all about me?” What’s the difference between memoir as art and memoir as a shallow, self-serving telling of one’s own story?
Gail Hochman: The bottom line is that the guy who writes books has to remember this: Nobody on earth gives a damn about your life and your book, except for you, your friends, your family. Nobody cares – you have to make them care. Now if there were a formula for the writing, I could tell you, but there isn’t. You have to somehow present your story in such a way that it has universal appeal and can put a wide range of people glued to their chairs. If you tell them things about the world we live in that they never really thought about that way – something that they wouldn’t have gotten in a different book – you can make them care. Another thing, I would recommend that a writer make sure the premise of the book appears dramatically in the first 30 or 40 pages. You have to have something happen that gets the ball rolling: a challenge, a question that has to be answered, or a goal that the protagonist is trying to reach, so we say, “Yeah, I got it! Now, oh my god, what is she to do? How would you address that?” You have to tell us early in the book why we’re reading the book. You’ve got to make us care by how you write it, by the story elements you put together, and in what way. In memoir, we have to fall hard for the character and feel swept up in the way the story is told. So when I say “fresh,” I mean not necessarily a fresh story we’ve never heard, even though that’s helpful, but the freshness of how it’s told. That’s the word I hear a lot from the editors that buy the most books from me. 

Walter Cummins: I recall a conversation with an editor friend about a memoir draft written by someone I knew, too, though I hadn’t read the draft. The editor said the writer had an interesting and eventful life and captured the drama and emotions of the central events. But the writer hadn’t gone beyond that to identify the themes that unify her life story, a way of grasping the significance of what the facts of her life were all about. That is, about in a manner that would matter to a reader. For most people, what’s happened in their lives matters to them, and they may tell certain personal stories to friends, lovers, children, bartenders, or the person seated next to them on an airplane. That telling may even interest listeners. But a memoir that deserves publication should resonate in a way that’s much deeper than the anecdotal.

Raphael Kadushin: I think if the writer has to ask themselves that question, they shouldn’t be writing a memoir. Any writing as art always comes down to the quality of the writing, and that means actual talent. It’s whether there is real talent, real writing, real voice, and there’s a real story that’s told in a larger, universal way. As to voice, it’s something ineffable. How do you define voice? It’s either there, or it isn’t. An editor’s job is to recognize that.

Some final thoughts
If you pen a memoir, drawing on your many life experiences, think beyond the autobiographical to the universal. How is this about others, not just me? This universalization principle applies to all memoir, regardless of subject. And keep in mind that memoir is not just story but an art form, calling for all the elements of great art in the service of great story-telling – and mainly, a voice that empowers the work, one that readers can’t help but listen to. You’re well on your way to publication if you can manage all that.

***

Notes on the Presentation on My Practical Experience on Writing
by Todd Elzey

[Editor's Note: Todd Elzey was a presenter on our October telephone conference. His words contain an abundance of practical experiences, ideas, and methods for writing for multiple markets. Here are the key points he included in his presentation.]

Introduction: 
I have been involved in writing in some form since very early in life.  I wrote my first article for the Ohio State School for the Blind’s newsletter in 3rd or 4th grade.  My first professional writing job was for the Capital News Service in Sacramento California in the mid-80s.  Despite the early beginnings of a career as I writer I got distracted from that path and ended up working for the State of California for 13 years, earned a law degree, and then worked as a Medicare Appeal Officer for 8 years.

In 2014, after being laid off from my job as a Medicare Appeal Officer, I decided to return to my first professional love as a career – writing.  Since then I have published 4 self-published books, have written grant proposals and other fundraising materials, and have written web-content articles.

The journey into a career as a professional writer has featured many ups and downs and twists and turns.  What I’ve learned over the past 4 years is that success comes with slow steady progress towards your goals, and with having the right tools and knowledge for the job.  After recently presenting to the National Federation of the Blind Writers Division, I was asked to write an article about my experiences.  What follows is my experience and recommendations on how you can find success as a writer.

Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing:
At the outset, I had to decide whether to pursue a path towards self-publishing or traditional publishing.  In making this decision I considered two factors, the market I was writing for and my overall goals.  Because I previously worked in fields with significant bureaucracy, I wanted my new career to be one that I had more control over.  In addition, I decided, because of my background and interests, that I wanted to write in smaller niche markets.  In fact, some of my niches have turned out to be small enough that it simply isn’t profitable for traditional publishers to work in because of their overhead.  Consequently, I ultimately decided to be a self-publisher.

Initially, my business plan called for me to publish ebooks exclusively.  But I soon discovered that I could, without any additional expense, also publish my books in paperback form via CreateSpace (now Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing).  This turned out to be a key discovery because my titles sell much better in paperback form as they are often used in the education/homeschooling community.  In fact, two of my books are now published exclusively in paperback because they don’t work well as ebooks.  What I discovered from this is that as an author/self-publisher it is important to remain flexible.  To be successful you should be willing to experiment, and you shouldn’t dismiss any market opportunity, as I almost did with paperback books, until you have tried it.

Tools of the Trade:
While it is still entirely possible to become a professional writer without a computer, because of the many advantages offered by computers almost all professional writers use them today.  As a writer who happens to be blind who uses residual vision, the trick for me was to get my computer set-up to be as productive as possible.

Because I write predominantly non-fiction, my work involves heavy research.  Because I live in a rural area, I try to do as much research as I can via the internet.  Consequently, I decided to go with a laptop for mobility that is hooked up to dual monitors when I use it in my home office.  I use two 27-inch monitors in conjunction with screen magnification software so that I can read online material easily. The dual monitor set-up allows me to have my word processing program open on one screen with my research material on the second screen.  I have found that this significantly increases my productivity because it allows me to research and write books and articles much quicker than with a single standard sized monitor.  The dual monitor set-up also allows me to work with video content on one screen while using my word processor on the second screen. 

I also recently discovered a second productivity tool which has also allowed me to increase the amount of material I can create in a day.  This tool is Dragon Naturally Speaking software (https://www.nuance.com/dragon.html).  This software allows me to speak my work into a word processing program rather than type it.  Even though I am a quite good typist I have found that it is far quicker to speak my documents.  However, I would caution that this is not the case right out of the box because the software does take some time to train to your voice.

I also highly recommend using Grammarly software (www.grammarly.com) as your initial editor.  Grammarly’s basic editor is free and they offer several different applications you can use in conjunction with your word processor.  Basically, Grammarly reviews your writing to find common grammatical errors.  Although it is not foolproof and you still have to review your own work, Grammarly will catch a lot of common mistakes that can be quickly corrected thus vastly speeding up the writing and editing process.  And yes, I have found it to be far more accurate than word processing grammar checkers.

Finally, although there are a number of word processing programs available on the market, I have found it important to have a software program that can save documents in word format as this is the format used by most editors, online marketplaces, and self-publishing platforms.  In addition, it is also vital to have the ability to convert your word processing documents to PDF format as this is also required by some self-publishing platforms.  I have personally found Foxit Reader (https://www.foxitsoftware.com) to be a great alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

Market, Market, and Market Some More: 
Without any doubt, the most difficult portion of my journey towards becoming a successful self-published author has been learning how to effectively market my books.  Unfortunately, you can’t just publish a book and expect it to sell.  Instead, the only way you will make any money as a self-published author is to market, market, and keep marketing.  In some respects, being an effective marketer is even more important than being a good writer, and it’s a process that you can never stop learning.

I initially tried Facebook Ads.  I discovered that Facebooks Ads are not very effective for selling books.  However, if used properly they can be quite effective at building your mailing list.

I am also currently trying to advertise via Amazon Marketing Services since all of my books are currently available on Amazon.  To date, I have about 60,000 impressions (views) of two ads.  10 of these impressions clicked on the ad and I have received 1 sale from the campaign.  The cost of the campaign to date is approximately $2.01.  So, when you consider what I make on each sale I have basically broken even on the campaign.  While the campaign may be creating some added exposure for my books, to date I would consider Amazon Marketing Services to be a failure.  However, my research indicates that few campaigns succeed right out of the gate.  Having the right keywords in your ads is essential to succeed, and I understand that finding the right keyword combinations can take several tries.  Given that I haven’t lost money on the campaign and that since my financial exposure is very small because Amazon only charges for clicks on the ads, I will continue to experiment with this platform.  Since the cost is so low, the ads are easy to set-up, and the potential market exposure is huge, I would recommend any self-published author who has their books published via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing to give this advertising platform a try.

By far and away I have found that getting my books reviewed/mentioned on blogs that are read by the market segments I target has been my most successful marketing effort.  This requires understanding who your market is, and it will require some internet research to find relevant blogs.  But other than the time investment and perhaps a review copy of your book, it is generally a free means of advertising.  Each time I have done a campaign of this type I have noticed a significant jump in my sales, and in one case I believe I still get residual sales from one blog campaign through word-of-mouth referrals.  One of the great things about this marketing technique is that it isn’t tied to any self-publishing/advertising platform since you can design the campaign to refer blog readers to any sales venue you are using.  So I strongly urge all self-published authors to spend time evaluating who buys your books, locating blogs that are popular in your readers market segment, and then try to get these blogs to review or feature your book.

Finally, no marketing strategy for a self-published independent author is complete without two additional elements.  First, you must always be looking for new channels to sell your books.  For example, my initial strategy was to sell via Amazon.  But in an effort to significantly boost sales I am now looking to expand into direct bulk sales to schools via direct mail and via a website that specifically targets teachers.

Second, always be on the lookout for other ways you can increase your income.  For me, it has come in the form of expanding into grant writing, content marketing, and perhaps into government contracting and consulting.  How can you increase your income by expanding how you use your writing talents?
**

Member Feature
by Shelley J Alongi

This month's new addition, Member Feature, highlight's Trish Hubschmann's new book: Stiff Competition (Miss America) A Tracy Gayle Mystery  
A Romantic Suspense Novel

Stiff Competition (Miss America): A Tracy Gayle Mystery
by Trish Hubschman
In e-book ($2.99) and print ($9.50) on Amazon and other bookselling sites. 
227 pages in print.
Cover, free text sample, author bio, direct buying links, and more: https://www.dldbooks.com/hubschman/ 
 
About the Book
America’s favorite rock band, Tidalwave, is playing the Miss America pageant. Band leader Danny Tide is emceeing the event.  All is going according to schedule. The judges have picked the 10 semi–finalists. Suddenly, everything comes to a halt. Miss New Jersey is missing. Nobody knows what happened to her or where she is. Danny calls his longtime PI friend, Tracy Gayle, and asks her to come down to Atlantic City to help figure things out. In need of her best friend for personal support and eager to get to another case, Tracy agrees. There’s an all–out search of the hotels on the boardwalk. They find Miss New Jersey, but it’s not good. Her kidnapping leads to another assault and murder. The big star and the lady PI work together on this one, so that the Miss America pageant can continue as usual.

About the Author
Trish Hubschman has published three books with America Star Books: a short story collection of time travel and romance stories called Through Time and the first two books in the Tracy Gayle/Danny Tide series: The Fire and Unlucky Break. Trish attended college at Long Island University’s Southampton campus, earning a BA degree in English with an emphasis in writing. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two dogs.

[This issue's member feature is from Trish Hubschmann. send us notes on new releases you have or  preorders for new books to Queenofbells@outlook.com to be included in future columns.] 

***

My Writing Journey
by Myrna Duprè Badgerow

My journey into the world of writing began in the year 2000. Although I had always enjoyed poetry, up until then I had not written poetry except of course in English class in high school. Through a chance meeting in a chat room, my interest in writing was born. I was encouraged to at least attempt to do so. I began to collect the poems I began to write and in 2003, with my husband’s insistence, I submitted a collection for publishing. And then the real journey began.

My first book was titled “My Words, My Thoughts, My Heart” and it was a fitting title. Although it is no longer in print, I celebrate that accomplishment and the journey it brought to life. I then began to explore the world of self-publishing.

My next book was a very personal endeavor as it was about the area of Louisiana I was born and raised in, the bayou county. I wrote of its early settlers and the history and culture that formed my upbringing. I titled it, “Breath of the Bayou” because it will always be in the air I breathe and every breath I take.

My next book was titled “I Heard A Sparrow”. I used poetry to describe my journey in the world of the visually challenged using my imagination and the senses of hearing, touch, smell, and taste to describe the world as I saw it and felt it. It is written from the viewpoint of those other senses. This is probably my most favorite collection.

My next two books were a book of quotes, “Simple Thoughts of Random Seasons” and a book of very short verse, “Bits and Pieces.” I love to write quotes and short verse so both were very enjoyable to put together. “Breath to Ink” was the next book, a collection from the beginning of my journey until the year 2012.

And then began the exploration of short stories. I wrote a series of three collections featuring a ‘storyteller’. They are titled ‘The Truth Tree”, The Word Gatherer”, and “Lily’s Visions of the Heart.” These were inspired by my love of Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet”. The word lessons are about contemporary subjects and subjects of old.

Then came my last two books, “New Insights’ and “Whispers from God”. Both explore the journey of my vision surgery. The inspiration came from my willingness to take that chance and knowing that if it did not work out, I would still write and pursue my journey of words.

I am now working on my second book of quotes. It will be titled, “Inspired Thoughts from Whispered Words”. May the journey never end! The joy it brings me cannot be measured.

My journey of words has been something I never dreamed I would accomplish. How grateful I am that I pursued it!

***

Writers' Resource
by Shelley J Alongi

Looking toward 2019, we will be expanding our magazine to include a Writer's Resource column. If you have discovered a good book on writing, a favorite writing web site, a writing blog you find useful, a self-publishing site, or other idea you would like to include in this colun, please send them to Queenofbells@outlook.com. If you send multiple ideas, please know that they may be included in future issues. Judging from the abundance of ideas that comes in on the Stylist, I know there are many people involved in lots of writing projects in touch with a lot of different resources. Share them with us. 

This month we discuss National Novel Writing MOnth, http://www.nanowrimo.org 

As many of you may know, each year, National Novel writing month occurs in November. NANOWRIMO is a nonproffit 501(c)(3) organization. Some of you may have participated in the fifty thousand word challenge one or more years. The idea is to construct an idea for a novel and write it in November. Rewards are given to those who produce fifty thousand words between November 1 and November 30. I first learned of this in my later years in college when I joined a face-to-face writing group. I have participated in several novel writing month events since that time. Two of my books, Brave Pilot, released in 2017, and one to be released in 2019, Forgiving Sky, are a result of ideas begun in those productive months. 

The idea is to write the story line for the novel in November. There is an entirely different month set aside for editing. In addition to encouraging pep talks and writers' group meetings in November hosted online and in local regions, NANOWRIMO hosts a number of events during the year to get people ready for this productive task. NANOWRIMO also hosts the Young Writers Program for k-12 and Camp NANOWRIMO. You can sign up to receive their emails through the year by going to http://www.nanowrimo.org. 

I never finished any of my novels in November, though I did come up with a beginning, a middle and an ending. I set the work aside and finished it later. The time I spent working on the ideas each November served me well. Currently, I have two more ideas for novels which are a direct result of my months of participation. They will be written in due time. 

If you haven't tried it, give it a whirl in 2019. If you need a motivator for starting your novel, NANOWRIMO can be a good one. For more information go to http://www.nanowrimo.org 

***

The Officer And His Sweetheart
By Trish Hubschman

1956
Jack Smith
I joined the Navy, no surprise there! My father was an officer in the navy before me. I grew up on a military base, four different ones, actually. At eighteen, I went off to college and studied aerospace engineering. Now, I’m back. Maybe someday I’ll be an officer, like my old man. From the time I was a kid, I liked to spend time down by the airplane hangars, goof around with the pilots and go to air shows. My eyes have always been set on being a Blue Angel flyer. Now, my dream was coming true. I’m licensed to fly a small craft. I’m not an official Blue Angel flyer yet, but I will be. I’m starting lessons shortly.

It was a Tuesday. I was headed over to the hangers for my first lesson with Flight instructor, Sgt. Gary Block. Feeling happy, and with a bouncy step in my gait, I walked into Block’s small office. I was wearing my dress white uniform. I just got the word from upstairs that I’d been raised in rank to a lieutenant! Life was good! Sitting at Block’s receptionist’s desk was a lovely young woman. I had no idea who she was, but I very much wanted to know. I took my hat off and stepped further into the office. “Lieutenant Jack Smith,” I said proudly, holding out my hand. 

She looked at me sweetly with big green eyes, but didn’t introduce herself. Her tone was efficient and totally professional. I’m sure Block appreciated that, but it drove me nuts. “Sergeant Block is on the phone at the moment, Lt Smith. He’ll be with you shortly. If you’d care to wait?” She gestured to a chair across from her desk. I took it, of course. I wanted to know this lovely lady’s name. 

My gaze searched around for something else to talk about with her before her boss came out of his office and I was whisked away, possibly never to see her again. There was a framed picture of a young boy on her desk. Never did it dawn on me that she might be married. “Your nephew?” I queried, gesturing to the photo with my hat. 

She glanced in that direction and smiled. “My son,” she corrected. “He’s five.” Her expression grew dim. I wondered what that was all about. “His father died two years ago on a mission in Korea.” She cast her beautiful eyes at me again. I felt compassion for her, though I’m sure she wasn’t pleading for my sympathy. “The base was good enough to give me this job, I guess as compensation.” She shrugged. “As if they could compensate for a little boy losing his father.”

She was right. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. 

She smiled warmly at me.

At that point, Block’s office door opened and he stuck his head out. “Mary?” he called to the receptionist. I knew her name now! Mary turned her to look at her boss and Block notice me. “You’re here, Smith?” he said, raising his hand. “I’ll be with you in a moment. “Mary, can you run to the commissary and get me some aspirin. This tooth is killing me.”

“Of course, Sergeant,” she replied, opening her bottom desk drawer and taking out her purse. She rose from her desk and slid past me out the door. Three very long days went by before I saw her again.

Whenever I went down to Block’s office to wait for my flight lesson, I chatted with Mary. She was a lovely lady. She was twenty-seven. Woah, what a young age to be widowed, but that was the way it could be around here, sad as that was. Her son’s name was Derek. He recently started kindergarten and was attending the elementary school on the base. His grandmother lived with them.

Three weeks passed with our idle chitchat, my flying was going well. I was probably going to solo soon and that would end my lessons with Block and visits to his office and very enjoyable chats with Mary Tate. I invited her out for a cup of coffee after work one day. She accepted, but insisted she couldn’t stay out late because of Derek. I heard and obeyed. I wouldn’t keep her out too long.

That’s what we did, went for coffee and chatted. Well, I couldn’t leave it at just one cup of coffee or one date. “The base is holding a picnic this Saturday,” I said, pausing a beat to measure her facial response if any. I went on. “Would you and Derek care to accompany me as my guests?”

Mary lowered her eyes. Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to swear under my breath. Had I gone too far? She’d hadn’t been widowed that long. Maybe she wasn’t ready to date, but what were we doing now? Her eyes finally came up and met mine. “Thank you. We’d enjoy that. Derek’s been bugging me for weeks to take him to the picnic. He wants to see the planes.”

I chuckled. I always loved that too when I was a kid. “Then Saturday it is,” I said brightly, feeling my heart skip a beat. 

I was at her front door at eleven a.m. wearing my dress white uniform. Derek squealed with joy when he saw me, or maybe it was just the uniform that excited him. Whatever! The three of us walked down to the airfield and we had a great time. I didn’t fly in this show, maybe next year. I took them home at four that afternoon. Derek was half asleep. He was a great kid, mature for his age, well-mannered. “Call me Jack,” I told him. Derek loved that one. Mary, on the other hand, shot me a disapproving look. I’d smooth it over with her later. 

Four months later, Mary and I were married by a base chaplain. Derek was my best man. Actually, Block was, but we let Derek think he was the boss. Soon after, I legally adopted Derek and he was my son too. A little over a year later, Mary gave birth to twins, a boy and girl, and we had our family. From there on, we lived happily ever after. 

. . .

Mary Tate
Was it acceptable in my professional role as Sgt. Block’s receptionist, as well as ladylike, for me to offer my hand so freely to shake a superior officer’s, introduce myself and chat with him as if we were old friends, have coffee with him and join him to a base picnic? I don’t know if it was, but I did those things and enjoyed them every much. Lt. Jack Smith is a lovely man, and so handsome, especially in his dress white uniform. Derek was agog when Jack came to our front door and rang the bell. My five year old son and the Lieutenant got on splendidly. I couldn’t stop smiling at the picnic. You know what Derek asked me when I was tucking a very tired little boy into bed that night? 

“Are you going to marry Lt Jack, Mom?”

Oh boy, I hadn’t expected that one. I had to think fast to come up with a good answer that a five year old would understand. “Only time will tell, love. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep.” There, that sounded good. I was pleased by my own response. I had my hands on Derek’s shoulders and gently tried to ease him back onto the pillows, but he wasn’t finished with his questions yet.

“Are we going to see him again?” Derek’s tone was hopeful. That, I didn’t have an answer to. On a professional level, yes, I would see Lt Smith down at the hangar three or four times a week, but that’s not what Derek was asking. “I’m sure we will, honey.” It wasn’t a lie, but a loose answer like the previous one. It seemed to satisfy my son. He lay his head back, and with a contented smile on his face, fell asleep.

I rose and left the room.

Much to my astonishment and delight, Lt. Jack called at eight the next morning and asked if we’d like to join him for Sunday mass at eleven. Since we were going anyway, having a handsome escort sounded perfect.

I helped Derek don black slacks and a blazer. My little boy looked so grown up and handsome. I wore a simple blue dress. This was church, not a picnic like yesterday where I wore a colorful flowered dress. I’ll never forget, when I opened the front door to greet Lt. Jack, Derek scurried around my legs and jumped into Jack’s arms. He picked my giggling son up in the air. It was a beautiful sight. 

“Are you ready?” Jack said to me, a board smile on his face. He was wearing another dress white uniform, which seemed ideal for any event. Jack settled Derek back down on his feet and Derek jogged off in front of us, leading the way. I closed and locked the front door. After Mass, we went to breakfast. 

It was the start of a wonderful new family relationship. 

Jack asked me to marry him three months later. It was the day of his first Blue Angel air show. I’d been watching him at practice out the office window the previous few months. He was superb, but that wasn’t the real thing, this was. I was a nervous wreck. When he proposed to be as easy as anything, and at such a time, I was confused, to say the least. He repeated it. “Are you going to make me a very happy man and marry me?”

Of course, I was. I wanted to cry and laugh. I didn’t want to get him excited though. He was about to do his dangerous stunt show. Keeping a calm face, I nodded my head. Jack smiled and kissed me, and then turned and jogged over to his plane. 

I couldn’t’ move. Suddenly, I felt a tugging on my skirt. I looked down. “What’s up, Mom?” Derek asked in all innocence.

I giggled and ruffled his sandy brown hair. “I think I’m going to be getting a new husband and you a daddy,” I said. Was this for real? Maybe I had dreamed it!

My five year old son understood that at once. “I told you He shook his head in all knowing. “Didn’t I tell you after we got home from the picnic that you would marry Lt. Jack one day?”

He had at that! “You’re a fortune teller, huh?” I teased and Derek burst into giggles.

The following year, when the twins were born, Derek wanted to name them Lucy and Ricky after his favorite TV show characters. “Absolutely not,” Jack said distastefully, glancing at me.

I had a twin in each arm. I looked down at them. The names had already been picked out by Jack and myself. “Timothy and Elizabeth,” I said. “Timmy and Liza.” I glanced up, not at my husband, but my six year old son to see what he thought. Derek had to think about it. Finally, he gave me a thumbs-up, like he’d seen Jack do every time he climbed into the cockpit of his plane. Jack and I burst into laughter. We had Derek’s seal of approval on his brother and sister’s new names.

Now, I had everything, my new husband and our three children.

. . .

2016
Derek Smith
Mom and Dad are celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Holy cow, can you believe it, sixty years already? This may sound like a cliche, but it seems like only yesterday that I was Best Manning for Lt. Jack. Hey, how many people can say they were at their parents wedding? I was five then. Now, I’m sixty-five! 

That number leaves a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to me, but I am thrilled that the folks have been together for sixty years and are still going strong. 

Look, I know Jack didn’t father me, mom’s first husband, Jerry Tate did. I have no memories of Jerry. I was only three when he died. Jack has been my dad for a long time and I don’t question his authority in that role. He retired a captain after thirty-two years in the navy. He’s well-decorated and honored. 

What does the sixtieth anniversary mean, or rather, what are we doing for it? Well, the whole gang is coming in for a huge bash. Mom didn’t want us to fuss, but I think this milestone deserves a fuss. Captain Jack agrees. 

Steph and I are already at my parents’ house. We live the closest. 

Mom doesn’t know this, but Captain Jack is going to be wearing his navy dress white uniform. He had to go to a tailor to get it taken out a bit, but it looks fantastic on my eighty-two year old Dad. He’s going to get down on one knee and propose to Mom. She is going to be the blushing bride. My wife, Stephanie, helped mom pick out a gorgeous dress for this event. 

Tim and Jane are flying in from Colorado. Jane is Tim’s second wife. They have no children, not did Tim have kids with his first wife. Liza and Mitch have two daughters and a son and four grandkids. They live in Maryland and are on their way up now, that is, I know Liz and Mitch are. I don’t know about their clan. Everyone will be here eventually for the party, though I’m not sure when their scheduled arrivals are. Steph is keeping track of the secretary stuff. Our four kids live in the vicinity and are basically already here. 

I joined the Navy too. I retired a Lieutenant with twenty-five years served. Finally, we got to settle down and move close to the folks. I’ll be wearing my dress whites for the party too. 

Okay, let the party begin, sixty years wed, three kids, an impressive military career. I love them both. I can’t say I called Dad Jack for too long. They’re mom and dad and I’m proud of it. 

***

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