Sunday, January 25, 2009

Book Review - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

rating: 4 of 5 stars





Following the Prologue, Chapter One starts, “I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other.”

In Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen paints a picture of depression-era life in a second-rate circus from the memories of a now old man. The story contains danger, romance, circus history (with some great photo’s), and even murder. But best of all, Sara has done an outstanding job in capturing the feelings and realities of aging through the ninety or ninety-three year old Jacob Jankowski, who resides in a nursing home and receives family visitors on Sundays. A truly enjoyable read.


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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Letter that Prompted the Story

Several readers have asked me about the initial letter I had received that prompted my story, The Story of Chris A. Venger. I had a particularly difficult time coming up with a story, and although the story has a dark thread (Chris steals Laura's story after inflicting her with the BD disease), it also has a silly element (for one, Chris is a complete klutz).

Here is the letter that prompted the story.























(Click on image to enlarge)

Feel free to use the letter as inspiration for your own story, and if you do, please post a link to your story in the comments section.

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Story of Chris A. Venger – A Short Story

In a previous post here and here, I mentioned a letter-writing project of my writers' group, Humble Fiction Cafe. Belatedly, but no less happily, I bid you my story created in result of this project. It is entitled, The Story of Chris A. Venger, and I hope you enjoy.

Please don't be shy. I welcome your feedback, good and bad, in the comments. It is through constructive critique that I learn more about the craft of writing and I am able to hone my skills.

The Story of Chris A. Venger
by Sheryl Tuttle

Chris A. Venger picked up his electro-active diffractive eyeglasses. They had fallen out of his breast pocket, again, but upon inspection appeared undamaged. He put them on his face, and the laboratory instantly came into focus, all 800 square feet of shiny steel surfaces, stark white walls, sterile benches and shelving with scientific apparatus and pharmaceutical experiments at various stages. The place Chris felt most at home.

Searching for his eLabBook, Chris knocked a beaker off a bench and pungent fumes circled upward off the floor where the liquid landed. "Oh dear," he said to no one in particular as he turned to get the chemical spill kit and RoboChem. His pant leg caught on the lab bench chair, tripping Chris and setting the chair in a twirling spin that launched various lab reports into the air like paper airplanes.

Just then, his Ubik mobile device buzzed. With his pant leg still caught on the chair, Chris wobbled over to the desk, dragging the chair along. He bumped his funny bone on the edge of the desk as he reached for the device and flipped it open.

"Augh," he said, rubbing his elbow. "Hello, Chris here."

Click here to read the full story


Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Holiday Memories 2008

Special memories!

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