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The 2019GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ – Day 2

21 Thursday Mar 2019

Posted by dtkrippene in GLVWG Conference Schedule, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Ben Wolf, Book Marketing, Charis Crowe, Janeen Ippolito, Self-Publishing, Splickety Publishing, Storytelling, Writing, Writing Conferences, Writing Craft

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Day 2 of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group Write Stuff Conference™ on Friday, March 22, will consist of half-day seminars with Ben Wolf, Charis Crowe, and Janeen Ippolito, followed by Page Cuts Critique Sessions with publishing professionals, and an early evening seminar on “The Pixar Method” with Charis Crowe.

Ben Wolf
Ben Wolf
Charis Crowe
Charis Crowe
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Janeen Ippolito

 

7:00 a.m. Check-In table opens. Pick up registration materials at the check-in table

Friday session includes Lunch, two half-day workshops and evening seminar, Page Cuts Critique (with $10 fee) and evening reception. 

 

2019 Floor Plan corrected

Map of Room Locations – Don’t Get Lost

 

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8:30 AM – 12:00 PM ~ The Three Pillars of Storytelling

with Ben Wolf and Charis Crowe

Storytellers throughout the ages have employed three essential elements to weave compelling tales: the high concept, the characters, and the plot. Each of these elements, when utilized efficiently, work together to support everything from short stories and flash fiction to epics sprawling across multiple movies, shows, and books.

This half-day workshop begins with a discussion of the story’s high concept and what makes for an irresistible idea. Then follows a breakdown of how to create engaging and realistic characters with backstories and motivation. The class concludes with an exploration of how to create interesting plots based on the classic three-act structure. Developing these three pillars of storytelling will help propel any story (and any storyteller) to new heights.

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Day 2 Lunc

12:00 Noon – 12:45 PM ~ Lunch (included)

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Plus: Networking Opportunities

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Janeen Ippolito Headshot

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM ~ Book to Market:

Tips to Package, Promote, and Publish Your Book

With Janeen Ippolito

 Should you aim for a traditional publisher or try to publish yourself? Is there a way to make selling books easier? And what social media should you really be using? Get clarity on your publishing and marketing options from publishing industry pro and marketing coach Janeen Ippolito.

These sessions take out the “overwhelm” and enable you to make decisions with confidence about your manuscript’s future.

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6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ~ Page Cuts Critique Sessions

In the Cedar Crest, Muhlenberg, and Lafayette Rooms

LIMITED SEATING: Advance registration necessary

Additional $10.00 charge with any registration

Page Cuts critique sessions are optional ($10.00 session charge) Participants will be assigned to a room headed by a team of publishing professionals who have been asked to provide feedback on your work. This kind of “cold critique” i.e. where first impressions count, is exactly like someone reading the first page of your novel at a bookseller, whether on line or in a store. That impression is what determines whether they buy your book. Don’t pass up this opportunity to get that first page polished so it shines!

Your work will be read aloud by a room moderator and commented upon by our panelists. No names will be used, all works are COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS. Opinions of workshop panelists are theirs alone and do not represent the opinions of GLVWG.

Limited readings. Participants who have been informed of their successful enrollment should bring to their session four copies of the first page of a longer work (fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir) along with four copies of a 100-word overview of the entire work.

Copies must be formatted. Double-spaced, 12 pt. “Times” font, 1-inch margins, Title & Genre at top of page. No names please. Print to start at the top of the page. 

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7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ~ The Pixar Method with Charis Crowe

In the Moravian Room

(Runs Concurrent to Page Cuts Critique)

Through the magic of engaging characters and heart-tugging plot lines, Pixar has brought us stories that ring true to who we are for over 20 years. Discover their methods, unpack the Pixar secrets for success, and learn how to apply them in your own writing.

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8:30 PM – 10:00 PM ~ Reception/Social Gathering

A relaxing atmosphere with snacks, soft drinks, cash bar. A perfect opportunity to network among fellow writers, presenters, agents and editors.

 

But don’t party too hard. Saturday’s main event is a busy day.

 

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Article by D.T. Krippene – Social Media Chair

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You can find DT at his Website – “Searching For Light in the Darkness“

his Facebook Page, and Twitter @dtkrippene

 

An Interview with Keynote Speaker, Ben Wolf

16 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Keynote, Presenter Interviews, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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GLVWG Program Speaker, Reader Engagement, Splickety Publishing, Storytelling, Writer's Conference, Writing, Writing Flash Fiction, Writing through Adversity

Ben Wolf Pic 3

We introduced Ben Wolf our Keynote Speaker for the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ , March 21 – 23, 2019, in our WordPress Blog – January 14. On Thursday, he kicks us off with Into the Deep: An Advanced Study of Speculative Fiction. On Friday, he’ll engage conference attendees in a discussion on The Three Pillars of Storytelling. Saturday, Ben will conduct seminars on Backstory: Your Secret Weapon to Engaging Readers, and Writing Flash Fiction that Sells.

Don’t miss his keynote speech during Saturday lunch, Writing Through Adversity.

GLVWG member, Joe Fleckenstein, took some time to ask Ben a few questions.

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In an interview with Geeks under Grace in 2014 you mentioned that you very much favored Frank Peretti’s writing and, in fact, you read his book The Oath at least a half dozen times. That’s saying something. What was it, specifically, that you admired in Peretti’s writing that you found so enthralling? Would it be fair to say there’s a similarity to some degree between Peritti’s style and what is to be found in your Blood for Blood?

Frank Perett’s writing captured my imagination at an early age. In part, it was some of the first “grown-up” fiction that I was exposed to, so the level of intrigue, drama, and even violence in his stories grabbed me and didn’t let go. The main reason I read The Oath so many times is that its high concept is brilliant, yet simple, and it is flawlessly executed. I can’t say much more about it without giving away a major plot point, so go read it and you’ll see what I mean.

With regard to my own writing, Blood for Blood did feel Peretti-esque, I think, in some ways. It has a dark feel to it (like much of Peretti’s work does, especially his earlier works), and I think I deal with that darkness in a unique way which is something Peretti does frequently as well. My latest novel (at least at the time of this interview), a sci-fi/horror story called The Ghost Mine, sways less toward Frank Peretti and more toward Robert Liparulo’s style of thriller storytelling. I’d say that in recent years, Robert Liparulo has usurped Frank Peretti as my favorite author.

Splickety, the flash fiction magazine you edited, is scheduled to close down. To what do you attribute the closure? Has the interest in flash fiction peaked? What’s the future for flash fiction? Are you personally finished with flash fiction?

I will always love and continue to write flash fiction stories, and flash fiction has such fantastic value as a tool to learn how to write better fiction. The closure primarily comes as a result of me realigning my priorities in publishing. For years, I ran Splickety to offer new authors a path to professional publication. Those publishing opportunities with Splickety helped me develop a career teaching at writers conferences nationwide and freelance editing for other authors.

Over the last year, I realized that though I had succeeded in the conference scene and in freelance editing, I was doing a poor job of pursuing my own personal dreams of becoming a multi-published, full-time author. So I took a hard look at what I would need to do in order to move toward that actual goal of writing full-time, and I realized that had some considerable changes to make in order to get that to happen. Unfortunately, shutting down Splickety is one of those changes.

Your proclaimed genres are Christian and horror. Christians say “love thy neighbor as thyself” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” How do you rectify these positions with a character bent on, say, using a stiletto on someone’s kidney? Will the real Ben Wolf stand up?

This is a great question, and I’m so glad you asked it. How do Christianity and horror go together? I’ve given a lot of thought and had a great many discussions about this over the years. It’s a complicated discussion, and there is no one right answer, but I’ll give you my thoughts on it as succinctly as I can:

A read-through of the Bible reveals plenty of horrific things happening–both natural and supernatural. People are brutally killed, demons torment humans, God opens up holes in the ground to swallow people whole and sends serpents to bite them and strikes people down for touching the ark of the covenant–the list goes on from there.

Are these “good” things? Not really. But the authors of the Bible included them for a reason: to show how horrific life can be, specifically with the intention of drawing a comparison between a life walking with God and a life separate from God. As I said, this is a huge discussion, and I don’t want to ramble on forever, but suffice it to say that horror as a genre or as a feature in any other genre (I’m working on a dark fantasy series as we speak, for example) is an excellent tool that an author of any stripe can use to their advantage to convey a message and tell a great story. And furthermore, I am not the same as my characters; I have a mind of my own, and they’re fictional beings. So they can stab kidneys with stilettos all day long, but it really gives no indication of who I am as a person.

Sidebar: One of the sessions I’ll be teaching at the conference is an extended presentation on Horror and how to wield it effectively. We’ll have plenty of time for discussion about this topic in more detail there, so I encourage any interested folks to sign up for the conference so we can delve deeper into the darkness together.

At the upcoming GLVWG conference, you may expect to have a variety of aspiring writers in attendance. There will be writers who do explicit sex, a few who do YA, those who do pieces with a religious bent. No doubt, others too. Do you have a common set of recommendations, advice, or taboos you might pass along to this varied group?

Yes. The key thing that I’ve learned over the last year is that you MUST know your audience. You must know what they like to read and what they expect to find in the books they read. 

A lot of writing advice out there states something to the effect of “write the story of your heart and find an audience for it.” There’s a counterculture of primarily independently published (aka self-published or “indie”) authors who start by identifying their preferred audience and then writing books that will energize and excite that audience.

Many of those indie authors are making six figures a year writing. I know a handful of them, and I know a couple who are making seven figures a year using this strategy. So if your goal is commercial success, then choose a ravenous target audience in a genre that you’re interested in writing, read a lot of best-selling books in that genre so you can identify what elements readers are looking for, and then craft a story that will satisfy readers’ appetites accordingly.

Every wannabe writer at sometime in his or her life will think about using an agent. What is your experience with agents? There will be agents at the conference. Do you use an agent? The same agent for the different pubs? Experiences with agents are always of interest. What’s yours?

I’ve had two agents thus far, and now I am technically agent-less. A good friend of mine is a top agent in the industry, and he has informally offered to send anything out for me whenever I want him to, but right now, I’m focused on indie publishing because it is likely going to be the quickest and most lucrative path for me.

Please note that this is a decision I came to based on a lot of publishing experience (I spent seven years chasing traditional publishing and not getting anywhere) and working with two agents prior. I’m not at all saying it’s the right path for everyone–some of my closest friends are traditionally published authors who are making a living off of their writing.

The key thing to understand when working with an agent, at least from my perspective, is that no one will ever care more about your book than you. Therefore, you are in most ways the best person to sell it. A good agent should have connections to the folks you want to get your book in front of, and a great agent will have a solid understanding of your genre and the readership for your writing as well as some sales ability. Truly excellent agents are rare, just like top-notch folks in any industry, and thus they’re harder to land.

At the end of the day, the only thing any author can control is the work that they themselves do on their writing and on their career. So work to achieve new levels of productivity, quality, and imaginative storytelling so as to improve your chances whichever route you choose to take.

Tell us about your human side. You write a lot about blood. Does the sight of blood bother you? When you give blood, do you watch the needle go in or do you look the other way? Could you butcher and clean a chicken?

I’m on the fence with blood. A little blood here and there in real life is fine. A lot of blood and I do start to get queasy. I’m not big on needles, but I got a tetanus shot and a blood draw a few weeks ago, and I watched the whole time. In crisis situations, I tend to handle trauma pretty well, so I would think that if someone’s life were on the line, I could probably throw up real quick and then do whatever I could to help the person in need. I also practice Brazilian jiu jitsu, so I’m comfortable choking people and manipulating their joints.

With that said, I’m generally a peacemaker rather than a person who seeks out physical confrontation. Though I can probably hold my own in such a conflict, I would prefer to avoid it. Butchering a chicken doesn’t sound like the worst thing ever, and animal blood doesn’t gross me out quite so much. I field-dressed a pheasant once, and I don’t really eat vegetables, so in the apocalypse, I guess I’d find a way to do what I had to do in order to survive–chickens or otherwise.

We, of GLVWG, will be looking forward to seeing you in person and to hearing you speak about one of our common, favorite topics: writing.

I’m really honored and excited to have the chance to join you!

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Ben is the founder and owner of Splickety Publishing Group, the publisher of three flash fiction magazines. He has edited, written, and/or published over 100 published works and has taught at 40+ writers conferences nationwide.

Ben currently has one novel on the market, The Ghost Mine, a gripping sci-fi/horror novel sure to thrill you and chill you late into the night. Ben has also published a children’s book and will be publishing the first books of a nine-book fantasy series in early 2019. You can find his books on Amazon.com.

You can find Ben at benwolf.com or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook.

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Ben and his wife Charis Crowe (who sometimes is his presentation partner) live in ­­­­­­­Iowa with their children. Charis is also presenting at the conference, and you can read Charis’ interview on our WordPress Blog – February 27.

 

 

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Article by Joe Fleckenstein

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Joseph E. Fleckenstein, active GLVWG member for nine years and club treasurer for two years, has published over 35 items. The list includes technical papers, online courses, and 22 short stories in ezines and print magazines. In 2015 CRC Press published his technical book Three Phase Electrical Power. His novel The Kurdish Episode will soon be available at Amazon. Additional bio particulars are available at his website www.WriterJEF.com.

Meet Ben Wolf – Keynote Speaker for the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ 2019

14 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Keynote, Write Stuff Writers Conference™

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Tags

GLVWG Program Speaker, Reader Engagement, Splickety Publishing, Storytelling, Writer's Conference, Writing, Writing Flash Fiction, Writing through Adversity

 

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Article by Joe Fleckenstein

 

At the 2019 Write Stuff Writers Conference™, GLVWG is proud to present Ben Wolf as our keynote speaker. On Thursday, March 21st, he will kick off the conference with the topic: Into the Deep: An Advanced Study of Speculative Fiction. Speculative fiction rules today’s popular culture in books, movies, and TV shows. Learning the ins and outs of the various genres is absolutely essential for writers who intend to compete in a saturated yet hungry market.

This extended workshop delves deep into speculative fiction and its sub-genres and will discuss the conventions, philosophies, types, standards, and other key elements that help define the genre.

So strap on your blaster, mount your dragon, and fly with us into the depths of the weird and wonderful world of speculative fiction.

Friday morning, Ben will begin the day engaging conference attendees in a discussion on The Three Pillars of Storytelling.

Saturday, he will present two sessions, Backstory: Your Secret Weapon to Engaging Readers and Writing Flash Fiction that Sells.

At the Saturday Luncheon, he will speak on “Writing Through Adversity.”

Life is a tyrant. It demands constant attention from us, throws fits seemingly at random, and never seems to let up. It’s unpredictable, precarious, and oftentimes rude.

But we as writers can’t let life get in the way of our goals–not if we mean to achieve those goals. Award-winning author, publisher, and editor Ben Wolf has been through the wringer more than once in his life as a writer. In fact, he’s been through hell so many times that they keep a room open for him.

But in spite of that, he still manages to get words on the page, pursue publishing deals, edit for freelance clients, and coach other authors on their projects as well. In his keynote address, Ben will share the un-killable drive that propels him forward even when every aspect of life tries to hold him back, and he’ll offer strategies and encouragement to attendees to help them capture that same driving force for their own writing careers.

Who is Ben Wolf?

Ben is the founder and owner of Splickety Publishing Group, the publisher of three flash fiction magazines. He has edited, written, and/or published over 100 published works and has taught at 40+ writers conferences nationwide.

Ben’s debut novel Blood for Blood won the 2015 Cascade Award and is characterized as “bold…with nonstop tension.” His debut children’s book, I’d Punch a Lion in His Eye for You, won the 2016 Cascade Award. In his spare time, he practices Brazilian jiujitsu (where he tries to choke out his friends).

Ben currently has one novel on the market, The Ghost Mine.

The Ghost Mine is a gripping sci-fi/horror novel sure to thrill you and chill you late into the night. If you’re a fan of Ridley Scott’s Aliens, you’ll love this book.

ben wolf book cover

“A snappy, fun, wild ride from hell! Wolf’s knockout novel brings all the sci-fi intensity of Ridley Scott’s Alien movies together with a Michael Crichton style thriller. When space colonization goes wrong in The Ghost Mine, it means a long, nail-biting night of sheer reading delight! Positively unputdownable!” – Brandon Barr, USA Today Bestseller and author of the Song of the World Series

In addition to The Ghost Mine, Ben has also published a children’s book and will be publishing the first books of a nine-book fantasy series in early 2019. You can find his books on Amazon.com.

Ben and his wife Charis (who sometimes is his presentation partner) live in ­­­­­­­Iowa with their children. Charis is also presenting at the conference, and you will get to meet her in our next blog.

You can find Ben at benwolf.com or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook.

 

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joe fleckenstein bio headshot

Joseph E. Fleckenstein, active GLVWG member for nine years and club treasurer for two years, has published over 35 items. The list includes technical papers, online courses, and 22 short stories in ezines and print magazines. In 2015 CRC Press published his technical book Three Phase Electrical Power. His novel The Kurdish Episode will soon be available at Amazon. Additional bio particulars are available at his website www.WriterJEF.com.

Charles Kiernan:  Mark Twain impersonator, traditional storyteller, and writer

17 Monday Sep 2018

Posted by dtkrippene in GLVWG Authors

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Tags

Americana Stories, Appalachian Tales, Brothers Grimm, Fairy Tale of the Month, Fairy Tales, Mark Twain, Storytelling, Traditional Storytelling

 

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GLVWG’s resident fairy tale sage and storyteller, Charles Kiernan, is our latest author profile.  He is famous for his portrayal of “Samuel Clemens”,  not because he looks just like him during a performance, but the words of wisdom from our most beloved American author, “Mark Twain”.  Chaz has a monthly blog titled “Fair Tale of the Month – Reflections and Delusions“, where he tells an old tale, then offers a quirky analysis through characters he invents. We offer his latest post, “How Idle Lars Won Himself a Princess“, for this month’s post. 

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Part One — Hadleigh Castle

Thalia, Melissa, and I are on a ramble. It started when I confessed to not having seen the sea this year, instead having stayed home to feed Johannes when Thalia and her mother went to Brighton.

“Oh my dear,” Melissa had exclaimed. “One should always take at least a moment to spy the ocean annually. The sea is the heartbeat and rhythm of life.”

At her insistence, we three are now in Hadleigh Country Park, overlooking the Thames Estuary, rather close to the ocean.

Boldly, we spread our picnic blanket at the foot of one of the ruined towers of Hadleigh Castle and take in its spectacular view of the Thames flowing to the sea.

Our outing is all contained in a bulky rattan basket Melissa has lugged to the tower’s base. Pulling back the cane pins, she opens the lid and pulls out a book. I recognize it. Folk and Fairy Tales from Denmark, Stories Collected by Jens Kamp. It’s a translation by my friend Stephen Badman.

“Here is our first feast,” Melissa declares, opening the book to its bookmark. “How Idle Lars Won Himself a Princess.”

Thalia and I settle back to listen to Melissa’s contralto voice.

Idle Lars had an exceptional talent for laziness. When Lars was an infant, wherever one put him that is where he would be whenever you next saw him. He would noe could Ht entertain the notion of crawling away to explore.

One day, through much effort and many threats, Lars’ mother got him to fetch water from the communal well. He took with him an old pot with its legs broken off and every little while he turned it upside down to rest upon it.

The princess, sitting at her castle window, noted his slow progress and called out to him, cautioning him that his legless pot might outrun him, and would he need a boy to push him from behind on his return trip. That annoyed Lars, but he made no answer.

At the well, his pot scooped up a tiny frog that pleaded with Lars to pour him back into the well.

“No,” said Lars, “I cannot be bothered to tip you out. I’d have to fill the pot again.”

The frog promised to grant him a wish. Lars, if lazy, was no fool. He cast his broad-brimmed hat upon the ground and wished for as many wishes as his hat covered blades of grass.

His next wish, with which he thought to spite the princess, was that his pot should sprout legs. It did, and started walking home. The princess was delighted at the spectacle, but called down to Lars that he still needed a boy to push him along to keep up with the pot.

Lars grumbled, “I wish you had a boy yourself.”

It was a thoughtless thing for Lars to say, but nine months later she did have a boy. She proclaimed her innocence, but to no avail.

When the boy could walk, the king called all the men in the kingdom together—including Lars, who, in the meantime, had not bothered to make another wish. The king gave the boy a golden apple saying, “Whoever you give this apple to, will be recognized as your father.”

Although Lars stood in the back of the crowd, the child sought him out and gave him the apple. Infuriated, the king had Lars and his daughter cast out to sea on a boat to meet their doom.

Here Melissa dramatically gestures toward the Thames flowing placidly below us.

Lars lay on the deck, seasick, while the princess wept and complained until Lars exclaimed, “What do you want me to say, other than I wish we were back on dry land?”

Instantly they were. The princess put two and two together, and realized things were not as bad as she had thought. She took charge of the wishing and had Lars wish himself to be a normal human being and not a self-centered, stupid, lazy oaf. That was transformative. She then went on to have him wish for royal creature comforts such as a castle, some servants, an army, and a decent wardrobe for both of them.

The next morning the king awoke and looked out his window to see an island and a castle that had not been there before. He goes to the island to be greeted by an honor guard, at the end of which is his daughter and a transformed Lars. Befuddled, but pleased, he says, “What will be will be.”

That declaration is followed by a happy, three-day-long marriage feast.

Thalia and I are content with the story, but I wonder what else is in Melissa’s wicker basket.

Part Two — Melissa’s Basket

 

Next from Melissa’s basket appears a bottle of claret, two wine glasses, a small jug of sarsaparilla, and a sturdy cup. Thalia’s eyes glimmer at the soda as Melissa pours it into the cup, sending its strong, sweet smell lofting in the air, along with Thalia’s giggle of delight.

“The protagonist in your tale is Lars,” I say, “but it’s a woman’s story isn’t it?” I take the glass of claret she offers me.

“That element of the princess taking charge does attract me to the story, I will confess. This one in particular has its charm. The Danes have a generally positive view on women. It seems,” she observes, “different countries hold their women to different standards, as least as they are reflected in the fairy tales.”

“The local tales,” I say, “are probably a rather good barometer of a country. What are your perceptions?”

“The Germans, I’ll say, are the hardest on their women, if we accept the Grimms as representative.” She swirls the dark, red wine in her glass. “In the Grimms’ canon there is the story King Thrushbeard and among the Irish tales The Queen of Tinkers. It’s the same story, but in the Grimms’ version the princess must be humbled. In the Irish tale she must be strong.

“Did you know the Germans never had a regent queen? The English had Queen Elizabeth, who absolutely defined her era. The Russians can boast of Catherine the Great. Germany, when it comes to speaking of it famous queens, we hear crickets chirping.”

Melissa pauses to bring out a cheese board, a block of Stilton, water biscuits and a small jar of blueberry jam from her epicurean basket. The jam, in particular, attracted Thalia’s attention.

Dipping a slice of cheese into the jam, I question, “Why do so many of the female protagonists in these tales end up getting married in the course of the story?”

Melissa sips her wine, contemplating. “At the time these fairy tales took the shape in which we now find them, there was not a lot of social mobility, and virtually none for women. Their marriage would determine their status. So, I’ll suppose young women’s future marriage was very much on their minds.

“On the other hand,” she continues, “in the fairy tales, the heroines never start out to find husbands. Husbands happen to them, such as in How Idle Lars Won Himself a Princess.”

Melissa opens her basket again and produces a covered bowl of mixed nuts. The lid removed, I spot a fat macadamia nut and pick it out as I say, “You have prompted a thought in me. You said, at the time, there was little social mobility. I infer from that there was little status change as well. But frequently the tales, as in our tale’s case, are about change in status; the oafish Lars becomes a king. It seems to me that goes beyond wishful thinking into the impossible.”

“But that’s the fun of it!” Thalia joins in, “Dreaming the impossible.”

I suppose she is right.

 

Part Three — Concerning Status

 

From the magic basket comes Melissa’s Curried Chicken and Pasta Salad, one of her no-fail crowd pleasers. I am delighted but I watch Thalia eye the offering suspiciously. She tastes it. Her brows knit, then she takes a second bite. I am proud of her. A child willing to venture beyond macaroni cheese as a culinary delight shows promise.

While staring up at the ruined tower of Hadleigh Castle, its ancient stonework sheltering us from the sun, Melissa comments, “I do notice a gender pattern in the tales concerning status. In the course of the tales young women fall from their status to a lower status, then struggle to return to that position or, in some cases, a higher one.

“In our story the princess is cast out to sea with Idle Lars to meet their fate. She turns it around to restore her position and bring Lars around to decency.”

I nod in agreement, my mouth full of pasta salad, so Melissa continues. “Men may start out as farm hands and rise to become kings. Lars is a selfish, idle oaf and wins himself a princess. There is no fall from grace with the men.”

“I like this!” Thalia declares, holding her fork.

Fall from grace,” I echo. “What does that say about how we perceive the roles of men and women in society?”

“Exactly my point,” says Melissa, taking a moment to nod to Thalia. “Women are at a disadvantage. They fight to maintain what they have. Men get to venture forward. Women who are on the road were forced out or are fleeing. Men are on the road to seek their fortunes.”

We watch a container ship, in silent effort, slowly, laboriously work its way up the Thames Estuary headed for the Port of London.

“In our story,” I return to the subject, “what about the disappearing child? When his mother and supposed father are cast out to sea, does he go with them?” I let a little false shock enter my voice.

Melissa, smiling, claps her hands once at my humor. “You have addressed the economy of characters so common to the fairy tale. Of course we don’t know what happens to the child. He has played his role and since he no longer forwards the story, he disappears. Though a prince he may be, he no longer shows his face.

“Also in our story, he is not the first to meet that fate. Lars’ parents are given no better. Lars’ father is mentioned at the start, so we know Lars had a recognized father. (Lars’ parentage of his son is not so clear.) Lars has a conversation with his mother, who sends him to the communal well, but after that she is no longer part of the story. Even when Lars is transformed into a decent human being and becomes king, there is no mention of him inviting his parents to live with him and his wife in the castle. Some tales will extend that courtesy, but they are usually French.”

“Fathers,” I say, finishing off my salad, “suffer the most from what you call the economy of characters. The notable exception is in Hansel and Gretel, where the children returning to their father at the end of the tale is their return to their former status. He needs to be there. Usually, as in the Beauty and the Beast variants, the father creates the dilemma, but then fades from the story as the jealous sisters take over.”

Melissa nods in agreement as, for dessert, she presents from her basket a peach cobbler. All conversation ceases. 

 

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Charles Kiernan:  Mark Twain impersonator, traditional storyteller, and writer.

Charles Kiernan performs at theaters, listening clubs, schools, libraries, and arts festivals. He is also coordinator for the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild, Pennsylvania State Representative for the National Youth Storytelling Showcase and Pennsylvania State Liaison for the National Storytelling Network. He’s been showcased on Lehigh Storytelling, and The Southsider magazine. 

Charles specializes in Brothers Grimm and other fairy tales. Be warned, however, he does tell them in their original spirit, under the belief that the “grimness” of Grimm serves a purpose, and should not be removed.

He has, of late, been fobbing himself off as Mark Twain with great success. Twain is wont to ramble on about his boyhood memories, the book publishing business, life on the Mississippi and frogs. Mostly, though, he likes to talk about the river.

He also performs Americana stories, collectively labeled the “Lost Dollar“ stories, a collection of Appalachian tales whose wisdom and humor is woven into the life of a little village stuck way back in the hills. The village is named “Lost Dollar” after the original settler’s mishap that caused him to stay there. The main industries seem to be the growing of apples and the catching of cat fish. Just ask about Uncle Willard’s Catfish!

In addition, Charles is a writer, best known for his blog “Fairy Tale of the Month.” He is presently working on a YA novel, in which his protagonist is falling through history as a pawn in a cosmic chess game played by Loki, the Nordic Lord of Destruction and his counterpart the Goddess Freya.

You can visit his website at www.lostdollar.net (don’t forget to scan down for a video trailer of his Twain show), his WordPress blog, and his Facebook Page. 

The Archeology of a Story

28 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by dtkrippene in Program Speakers, Writing Craft

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Brothers Grimm, Fairytales, Literary Fairy Tales, Mythology, Storytelling, Writing

 

ChazK

In a recent craft discussion at the GLVWG monthly meeting, professional storyteller Charles Kiernan discussed the evolvement of literary storytelling.  Before the invention of the Guttenberg Press, or handwritten accounts by trained scribes, legends, folktales, and mythology were passed down through generations by word of mouth. The following are notes from Charles’ seminar.

**********

 Mythology, legends, folktales, and fairytales can be lumped together as pre-literary.

Mythology: Myths are the creation stories of a given culture, replete with characters representing fundamental aspects of that culture. And yet those characters have personality traits that appear to be individual. These gods and goddesses are both universal and unique. We, as individuals, tend to identify with one or another of these divine beings. Each of us has our primary myth.

Legend: This form of storytelling deals with maybe/historical heroes and heroines, again associated with a given culture. King Arthur, Sigurd, and Roland come to mind. They touch on and converse with mythological figures. The distinction between the two is not always clear.

Folktales: More often stories of the common people, although not always. Legendary figures like the indomitable Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill can appear as Fin McCool, a downgraded, buffoonish giant in the folktale.

Fairy Tales: These are a sub-category of folktales. The distinction between the two is that fairy tales have the element of magic. It hurts me to say “sub-category.” Fairy tales are superior to folktales and perhaps the origins of myth.

There is the argument among folklorist about whether fairy tales come out of myths, or if myths come out of fairy tales. I suggest the answer is “yes.”

 Literary Fairy Tales: These are, of course, fairy tales written down with an eye on the literate reader, one use to literary conventions. His name is Hans Christian Andersen.

Ok, maybe that is not fair, but he does exemplify the literary treatment of fairy tales.

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An Interview with Michael Hauge

10 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by GLVWG Write Stuff™ Blog in Keynote, Write Stuff Conference Presenter, Write Stuff™ Conference

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Plotting, Story Mastery, Storytelling, Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Conferences, Writing Fiction

michael-hauge-lecture

GLVWG’s Geoffrey Mehl, interviewed Michael Hauge, keynote speaker, special seminar and master class instructor for The GLVWG WriteStuff Writer’s Conference™, March 23-25, 2017 .

Michael is a story and script consultant, author, and lecturer who works with writers and filmmakers on screenplays, novels, movies, and television projects. He has coached writers, producers, stars and directors for every major film studio and network. He is also the best-selling author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read. He has presented lectures and workshops to more than 70,000 writers and filmmakers around the world. In the words of Will Smith, “No one is better than Michael Hauge at finding what is most authentic in every moment of a story.”

Hauge’s Six-Stage approach to story structure divides any successful story into setup, new situation, progress, complications and higher stakes, retreat and final push, and aftermath. These stages are divided by five key turning points: opportunity, change of plans, point of no return, major setback and climax. For a more detailed explanation of his approach, go to this article on his website: STORY STRUCTURE: The 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Screenplays

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Disassembling a Fairy Tale

15 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by dtkrippene in GLVWG Author Blog

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Brothers Grimm, European Folklore, Fairy Tales, Storytelling, The Goose Girl

When was the last time you read, or heard someone read, a classic fairy tale? Did you know the Brothers Grimm printed over 200 stories, but most of us are aware of only a handful?  Centuries ago, fables were told by word of mouth, perpetuated by folks who couldn’t read, or couldn’t afford a printed version.  When the Brothers Grimm collected and published popular folklore in the nineteenth-century, it opened a completely new door to literary romanticism in Europe.

GLVWG member and resident storyteller, Charles Kiernan, is one of those rare talents that can hold an audience captivated, no matter how many times you’ve heard the tale.  It isn’t just the words, it’s how it’s told. He shares with us the fundamental elements of a classic fairy tale.

And yes, his resemblance to Mark Twain is uncannily accurate.

********************

Charles Kiernan

Charles Kiernan

I am going to take apart a fairy tale (I don’t think any harm will come to it from my doing so) to see what makes it tick. Below is a piece from the Brothers Grimm’s – The Goose Girl.

Heinrich_Vogeler_-_Illustration_Die_Gänsemagd

Illustration by Heinrich Vogele – From Wikipedia

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