Outtakes 121

Where Were You?

By Cait Collins

November 22, 1963 was an ordinary school day for this 12-year old junior high school student in Bangor, Maine. I had just left my social studies class and entered my home room for the last period of the day. My home room teacher was a very strict lady. Miss Rankin did not tolerate talking or fooling around. She considered this period to be a chance for students to receive school news, report cards, or other paperwork to be taken home to parents. Once the business was completed, the time was to be used to do homework. My English teacher assigned a book report so I began reading a book I had checked out of the library earlier in the day.

Each room had a receiver installed near the door allowing the principal or other members of the office staff to contact a teacher without sending a runner. It did not ring often, so the buzz interrupted all study. Miss Rankin rose from her desk to answer the summons. She identified herself and then stiffened. “I shall be there immediately.”

Replacing the receiver, she turned to her students. “I must go to the office. I trust you will continue your study with no talking.”

No talking. Was she serious? Whispers circulated. “What’s happened?” “I don’t know.”

I cannot say we continued to study. We watched the door.

Miss Rankin returned. She stepped to her desk, pulled out her chair. “Children.” She always called us children. “We have been ordered to lower the flags to half-staff. President Kennedy has been assassinated.” She sat down. “Please return to your studies.

I couldn’t believe it. My current events report that day had been on the President’s response to the assassination of Vietnamese President. Besides I had seen President Kennedy a few weeks earlier when he landed at Dow Air Force Base for a speaking engagement at the University of Maine in nearby Oreno. It did not make sense.

When the bell rang I gathered my books and went to the bus stop. My older sister joined me. “I was shelving books for the librarian. I had PT 109 in my hand when Mr. Sweat announced the President died.”

On Sunday, Jack Ruby murdered suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald. We watched the events on television. And as school was suspended, we were glued to the television for the funeral services. I will never forget John-John saluting as the coffin was loaded on the caisson.

Whenever people of my generation speak of the Kennedy assassination, they vividly recall where they were and what they were doing when they heard the horrible news. History should be told dispassionately with attention to facts. However, the human response and emotion is revealed by those who witnessed the events. Where were you when the Challenger exploded? Where were you on September 11, 2001? Have you recorded what you heard, saw, and felt? Will your children and grandchildren only know the facts and not the emotion?

Pick a historic event. Where were you? Write it down.

Outtakes 120

To the Extreme

by Cait Collins

I have a lot of respect for my doctor, but I hate taking medications. Medicines and I often do not get along. So whenever the doc suggests a course of treatment, I start researching a holistic approach. I visited one of our local health food stores recently to gather information to discuss with my doctor. I’d had dealings with the folks in this store in the past, so I was really surprised when I encountered the Health Food Maniac.

“I can help you but you have to be willing to change your diet.”

“What do you mean by change my diet?”

She handed me a sheet of paper. Both sides were covered with lists of food to avoid. There was a small section of approved foods. No more junk food, which meant anything she considered unfit for human consumption. The list continued. Soft drinks, chewing gum, cookies, throat lozenges, milk, processed cheese, breath mints, oranges, grapefruit, soup, pasta, white flour, white rice, margarine, corn, and Cool Whip were banned substances.

While I was recovering from the shock of fasting for the remainder of my days, she began she began a campaign of it’s your fault. “So you work 80 hours a week. You don’t have time to cook healthy food.”  “It’s your choice, but if you want to get better…” “You’ll need to take this.” She began to place boxes and bottles on the counter.

I tried to make sense of this nonsense. Where was the sweet, compassionate gentleman I worked with before? I picked up the sheet and left the store. Wow, what a witch. I don’t respond well to the “my way or the highway” mentality.

My disgust turned to an idea. The health food nut would make a great character in a novel. I saw so many possibilities. She is so obsessed with her causes she alienates her family and friends. Or she gets careless in her pursuit of her desires and destroys the lives of her neighbors. Or she could be the comic relief character.

Extreme characters can be fun.  They can be annoying or terrifying. But they are interesting and they are remembered. Think about some of the way-out folks you’ve met and how their obsessive traits can be written to add sizzle to a story? The people we encounter on a daily basis can be a fantastic tool in our writing arsenals. Do some people watching, write mini character sketches. Keep a file of these wacky folks and use them judiciously. There’s really something special about extreme characters.

Outtakes 119

Synopsis

By Cait Collins

I love writing novels, memoirs, and screenplays. I hate writing synopsis, and treatments. Reducing a completed work to a few paragraphs is a daunting task. What do I include? What should be omitted? I still do not have the process perfected, but these are some things that help me.

• Write a basic synopsis or treatment before putting the first word of the work on paper. This helps focus the story.
• Determine the theme of the work. The theme of my present work is Baby Boomers meet the Y Generation.
• Determine the audience. Knowing the target audience not only limits the scope of the work, it keeps the setting, timeline, characters, and language on target.
• Include the conflict. A story without conflict is flat.
• Begin with the day that is different. Back story can be inserted later.
• Since I’m a pantser and not an outliner, the initial synopsis helps me keep characters real and it allows me to add or delete secondary characters as needed.
• Use the basic synopsis to tie up loose ends.

After the work is finished, review the initial synopsis. Make sure the protagonists and antagonist are clearly introduced. Name the key secondary characters and their relationships to the main characters. Refine the setting and the timeline making sure the setting is well defined and the timeline is tight. Check submission guidelines for the synopsis or treatment length. Most agents and publishers have a set number of pages for a synopsis. Prepare three lengths –one-page, three-page, and five-page. This eliminates rewriting for different requirements.

Writing a great synopsis is essential to a successful submission. Hooking the agent or editor with a creative introduction to the story could be the difference in a request for the complete project instead of delegation to the reject pile.

Outtakes 118

Trick or Treat

By Cait Collins

My congregation held our annual Fall Festival for our kids this past weekend. The event included Trunk or Treating. This is a variation of door-to-door Trick or Treating. We line up our cars, open the trunks and kids come around with joyful shouts of “trick or treat”. I lost count of the number of children I treated. Within a half an hour, most folks were out of candy, so we herded them inside for dinner.

The kids were so cute. They proudly displayed their costumes pretending to be someone else. I spoke with a bride, a ballerina, a cowgirl, a black cat, Athena, a princess, the Little Mermaid, a butterfly, a fairy princess, a witch, and minions. On the guy side, Robin Hood, a skeleton, a Teenage Multitenant Ninja Turtle, Superman, Iron Man, cowboys, a pirate, Captain America, and other comic book heroes crossed my path. I recalled my childhood when I was among the hoards of kids out begging for treats. I too enjoyed playing someone else.

As I watched the children make their rounds, I began to wonder what prompted them to choose their costumes. Why Robin Hood or Captain America, Athena, or a princess. The answer was simple. A writer. Some person with a pen or a computer wrote a story, a television script, a screenplay, or a comic book. What they read, saw, or heard sparked these kids’ imaginations. They assumed the personas of their characters and for a few hours, they pretended to be another person. And they had fun.

As writers, we never know the impact our words will have on the reader. We carefully pen our stories and hope someone will enjoy our efforts. It’s good to know a bunch of kids appreciated the works of writers.

Outtakes 117

Outgrowing an Organization

By Cait Collins

Writers’ organizations can be very valuable. New writers may have great ideas, but may not know how to best craft the story, develop the characters, and move the plot. A good writing group can help a newbie get started in building a foundation. Meetings might offer workshops hosted by published authors in characterization, plots and sub plots, editors and agents, marketing, and formatting principles. The sessions are a gold mine for the beginner.

As a writer progresses in developing his craft, his needs change. He goes from baby food to meat and potatoes. Instead of writing one genre, he’s working in multiple categories. He needs more specific information regarding his new directions. He asks the program committee if it would be possible to have presentations on writing contemporary westerns but receives no positive responses. What about creative non-fiction? The response is there are not enough people interested in the genre, so it can’t happen. The next three meetings are repeats on marketing, social media, and plotting. The writer becomes frustrated and begins to occasionally skip a meeting. His absences become more frequent, and finally he stops attending. But he still pays dues.

It is possible to outgrow an organization. The decision to leave the organization need not be negative. It is possible the current group does a great job educating newer writers, but they falter in providing more advanced programs.  When skills and knowledge progress beyond the offerings, it may be time to cut ties with the organization and move on. Conduct online searches for a writing group that specializes in the new genre. Check references, and if possible, attend a meeting. Check for online instruction if the meeting times and locations make an in person visit difficult.

When the decision to move on is made, the writer should be professional.  He should notify the membership chairperson he will not be renewing his membership. It is not necessary to go into details. Simply state his goals have changed and he has found an organization that specializes in his new direction. He should thank the members for their support and wish them success in their endeavors. This courtesy will be appreciated by the chair as he or she will not have to spend time sending out reminder letters and making follow-up phone calls.

Leaving on good terms is to the writer’s advantage. By remaining professional bridges are not burned. The members will still be willing to support his goals and buy his books. Besides we are all part of a large fraternity. We need each other.

Outtakes 116

On Vacation

by Cait Collins

It was a dark and windy night. With my computer perched on my lap, I typed mindlessly. Nothing made sense. I deleted more than I kept. There are times when the words just don’t come. I usually have this problem when I’ve had a stressful day at work or spent many hours writing business documents. My mind just won’t switch gears.

I know the current problem. I’m on vacation from my job, so my creative side has decided to take some time off. I guess the brain has earned a break. At times like this, I find it is better to abandon the session, save what is salvageable, and begin again tomorrow. I will not waste my writing time. This is a good opportunity to review the critiques for my current work. At least I’m working on my writing.

Taking a brief mental vacation is not a bad thing. We rest from our jobs and obligations. When we return to business, we are more productive and make fewer mistakes. The same goes for our writing lives. We need a break. The trick is not to make a habit of taking writing time outs. Prolonged periods of inactivity are a breeding ground for excuses not to get back to the job at hand. Enjoy the vacation but don’t quit writing.

Outtakes 115

Who Am I?

By Cait Collins

Have you ever been asked to take one of those personality tests? The ones that attempt to determine your traits as they relate to your job? Don’t feel slighted if you’ve missed this opportunity. There are not many surprises. The tests present some seemly innocent questions such as “If you had an hour with no commitments, how would you spend the time?  A) Read War and Peace  B) Spend the time contemplating the veins in a flower petal  C) Work on a craft project D) Dance  or E) Organize your computer files.” Once you have answered all the questions, you total your points based on the number of A answers, B responses, and so on. You don’t get the key until you’ve totaled the responses. In my high stress job, I usually learned I was dominate/analytical. Translated – – boring. But if I took the same test as a Disney cast member, I scored free thinking/creative.

Was the test flawed? Absolutely not. Each of us have different personalities for different situations. As an office manager I had to take charge, set deadlines, study the issues, crunch the numbers and make the best decisions based on the information at hand. At the Disney store, my instructions were to exceed the guests’ expectations and to have fun. I had a blast at Disney because I was permitted to use my creative side. I could be a kid, a princess, or a villain. It all depended on the guest. With the children I could be silly, but when a serious collector came in, I changed the personality to speak the collector’s language. I loved both jobs. The requirements were performed by one person with two distinct personalities.

All of us have multiple personalities. We are different people depending on circumstances. Accepting our varied personas doesn’t mean we have mental issues. Instead it makes us more balanced and real. Have you ever met a one dimensional person? Someone who displays only one personality? While they are basically good people, they are not always comfortable to be around.

As writers we know our characters are complex. They change with their surroundings. This is good. By permitting them to be themselves we have real persons and not cardboard characters. Listen to your characters. They will guide you in telling the story. How will you know if you are allowing the players to run amuck? Don’t worry. If you are truly listening, the characters will tell you. ,

Outtakes 113

Points of View

By Cait Collins

Recently four of my sisters and I sat down to work on our segment of the “This Is Your Life” presentation for our minister’s retirement celebration. We had all attended Black Mesa Bible Camp as either campers or counselors, so we were going to bring back memories of our camp days. As we exchanged ideas, it became apparent we had some similar memories and a few “I don’t remember that” moments. But when we combined our recollections we were able to put a good act together. And if you can believe the all the comments, we were a hit. But if the program had been based on just one sister’s memories, the skit could have been flat.

Varied points of view of an event add spice to a stew pot of memories. For example, one sister remembered the first verse of a favorite camp song. Three of us did not remember that verse. Two sisters harmonized the opening lines and soon the other three of us broke in with the portion of the song we remembered. It was great fun. But without the opening lines it would have been so different.

Television police procedurals employ multiple views in solving the crime. Listen to detectives as they interview the witnesses to a bank robbery.

Detective:        How many perpetrators were there?

Witness 1:       Three maybe four. They moved so fast I couldn’t track them.

Detective:        Can you describe them?

Witness 1:       One was tall and skinny. Didn’t have much hair, but he did have a mustache. The second one was short and kind of hefty. I only saw him from the back. The other two are kind of blurred. I wasn’t worried about them ‘cause they didn’t have guns.

Detective:        Please describe the weapons.

Witness 1:       I don’t know man. Guns are guns. I wouldn’t know an assault rifle from a hand gun.

Detective:        What about their vehicle?

Witness 1:       An SUV. American make. Black. Couldn’t see the plates because they were smeared with mud.

The detective goes to the next witness. Her answers were different. She saw only two men and one woman. They were all young late teens to mid-twenties. White, all with long hair and athletic looking. The girl was the driver of a dark green SUV. New York plates 5233. The witness only had a partial plate number.

The second detective comes over and begins flipping through his notepad. His witnesses recalled three to five criminals, midget to giants in size, all men, wearing coveralls, business suits, or jeans and flannel shirts. They drove dark SUV’s, Lincolns, or mini-vans, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut plates 5233, 5332, 3532. Now the detectives must go back to the station and wade through their notes to find matching information or consistent statements in order to find suspects.

One of my instructions taught the lesson this way. During his lecture, a man came into the room and spent a couple of minutes talking with the professor. When the door closed behind the visitor, we were asked to write our recollection of the event. Each student saw a different man and viewed the conversation as hostile, friendly, businesslike, or “I thought we were going to have to call the cops”. The visitor was a police officer wearing a blue APD uniform with the standard utility belt. He returned some books the professor had lent him. The meeting was friendly. Twenty some odd pairs of eyes and no one got all the details right.

The point is varied recollections and viewpoints provide differ stories, hooks, or plot turns. Employing the inconsistent memories and stories helps us build the plot, provide glimpses of character traits and character interaction. Using the varied viewpoints allows a writer the opportunity to write multiple works based on one set of events but from the eyes of each major character.

Outtakes 112

I Am a Writer

By Cait Collins

 Writers’ groups and conferences provide opportunities to meet new people and learn more about the craft of writing. Introducing yourself to another attendee might go something like this.

            “Hi, I’m Cait Collins. I’m the chairperson for the conference.”

“Nice to meet you, Cait. My name is James Davis. I’m from Albuquerque.”

“We’re glad to have you join us. Is this your first conference? What do you write?”

“Yeah, my first. I thought I might pick up a pointer or two. I’m a tech writer. I produce training manuals. I know it’s not glamorous, but someone has to do it.”

Why is this writer apologizing for his profession? Just because he is not a novelist, poet, screenwriter, playwright, or children’s author does not disqualify him as an author. In fact, many talented men and women make their livings as journalists, lyricists, ministers, historians, business correspondents, copy writers, and text book writers. These folks are members of the family of writers and authors.

No matter the genre or professional title the basic skills of writing apply. Proper grammar, spelling, formatting, and continuity are required. Attention must be paid to style and the audience. Research must be complete and no short cuts may be taken. The materials must be crafted in a manner that will inform, train, teach or entertain without being condescending or superior. Such writing requires the same professionalism as that of a novelist or poet.

So next time a writer introduces himself as a tech writer, welcome him and pick his brain. Consider what we might learn from this new point of view.