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Thanks so much Judith. I really appreciate it. Michael
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Hey Christy,
Thanks for reaching out. I also look forward to future exchanges.
Michael
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Thanks so much. I do appreciate it.
Michael
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Hi,
I’m taking this coure because I’ve always had the desire to write meaningful fiction, that could change the way people think or expand their horizons, and still be a page turner.
I’ve always wanted to combine literary and pop genres. To not be pigeonholed.
I feel that doing this makes it more difficult to be classified, so that makes it harder to be picked up by New York. I went through four years of approaching agents who said they loved my work, would keep it for six months, and then say that it wasn’t for them: they couldn’t classify it.
So now that my novel is published, I’m hoping to find ways to get a big enough following, so that when I put out it’s prequel (first draft about done), I might get approached by New York.
However, not sure if New York isn’t just a hang over dream from youth. Maybe I’d be completely happy as an Indie. Don’t know yet.
This rambled a bit. It’s probably because my brain is rambling around this whole topic.
Bottom line: I want to sell as many copies of my novel “The Consecration of Jacob Jordaens” as I can to supplement my fixed retirement income. Sorta 🙂
Michael
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HI Sunny,
First off: this was charming and truly enjoyable. I like the present tense, it gives an immediacy, like you are with the kid now experiencing this little war with his Mom.
My favorite aspect is how Daniel, as a metaphor wizard, transforms everything into horrors: meatloaf, swimming in lake, science experiment food etc.
Just thrown by “I’m not sure why she’s so excited to get rid of me, but something tells me it involves sleeping in and not having to explain to the school principal why her son’s Octobear destroyed half of the playground.” I just didn’t understand it.
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Hi Ann,
I like the episodic nature of your tale. Particularly liked the description of the overnight cottage and the “dreary city of Grenoble.”
That said, what the narrator wanted, had to have, drive was not clear to me. At first it was anxiety over her boyfriend disappearing (and why he just disappeared wasn’t clear to me), but with that setup I wanted the “drama” of the narrative to be about finding him again. I guess given the title it was about having to have that water, but I never got a sense of real need for it.
I think if you could spell out to your self the driving anxiety you felt that day and used that as a thread that you wove through it intentionally, arranging some of the parts to fit, you’d have a stronger story.
IMHO 🙂
Michael
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I don’t think so 🙂 If anyone, I’m the David in the story.
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Hi Joe,
San Miguel is spectacular. Only 140,000 but with all the amenities of a big city. Great art/music/author scene. One of the major art hubs for all of Latin America. Has an expat (American, Canadian, European) population that is about 10% of general population, so it is easier to ease into Spanish. Best Spanish schools in Latin America. All year round temperate climate–sort of like Bay Area. Never gross hot, never humid. The center of Colonial Mexico, so sort of like Mexico’s Boston. It was named by Conde Nast last year as best city in world, believe it or not. And I have 2 and a half times the standard of living on a third of the income that I had in Rhode Island.
Google San Miguel de Allende and check out some of the You Tube videos.
Also has the best Literary Conference I’ve ever been to, and I’ve been going for the last thirty years to them all over, that takes place every February. You should check it out.
San Miguel is also the safest place in Mexico. And only a few hours from Puerta Vallarta and Mexico City.
I have 11 reviews so far, and they are excellent. So I hope to get to 25 soon. I am very diligently pushing the marketing daily, although it’s a lot more work than I had expected with slow results.
I’m enjoying the class, and just posted my first story.
p.s. Although I sent you a separate email about this, could you tell me how to get my picture into my profile. It’s driving me nuts. Thanks.
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Thanks for taking the time to read and critique, James.
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Hi Sunny,
Congratulations on having your book up. I’ll definitely check it out.
Look forward to interacting as well.
Michael
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Ann,
Thank you so much for the careful reading of my story.
You’re right: the unintentional ambiguity is there. Not to make excuses, but I think there are two reasons: 1) Word count. It was much longer and I took out too much trying to telescope it down. David and Joy are very much in love with Michael and MIchael is a bit of unintentional cad, charming, but a little self-centered. Joy is a virgin but if this is what Michael wants . . . and David will always follow Michael’s lead. 2) The intent is that this be preface to a much longer story that takes place in the present when Joy and David meet at a conference near Monterey after not having seen each other for forty years. The drama and ultimate tragedy revolves around their very different views of what happened the night that is described in the story I presented. Therefore a little bit was intentional ambiguity to be resolved at end.
Your comments reminded me that no matter how careful we are, an editor is always a good thing to have. My published novel went through a gadzillion drafts, edits, etc., and still the publisher’s editor was able to find subtleties, not in terms of grammar or typos, but in intention, motive, etc., So I thank you.
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hi Ebony
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Thanks Lee. By the way, loved your piece and commented on it.
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Thanks Angela. Looking forward to yours as well.
Michael
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Thanks so much Ann
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