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Art's web site: http://amontague.homestead.com
Email: arts-place@rogers.com

THE FENCE, THE POPSICLE, AND THE CAN OF COORS by Art Montague

Is a fence to keep things in or out? Is it like part of a jungle gym, an object to climb? Or is it just a walkway for squirrels to access the garden shed roof or perhaps a perch from which the cats can ambush birds on the patio? Or all of the above? More, much more than the above, as K.C. demonstrates. 

I did my part on a warm spring morning while K.C. was off mau-mauing the day care folks. I painted the backyard picket fence white. To me the exercise seemed sensible. Three years had passed since I'd last painted the fence. My timing was impeccable. Daycare provides a window of opportunity to do many things best done without K.C.'s assistance.

She is a little too haphazard to be around pails of paint, open pails of anything for that matter. Dipping is a longstanding passion of hers, begun early under the Golden Arches with french fries in ketchup, continuing along with bread in applesauce to stuffed animals in bathtubs. Dumping is another passion, a logical extension of interest when mere dipping becomes a bore.

I'm told not to encourage such behavior, as if I'm not adult enough to know this on my own. Well, I'm adult enough and I usually obey. I'm also a grandfather. Accordingly, I don't feel obliged to discourage the behavior either. Human beings are free only for a little while. Then, just when life is looking like it might be fun, they're plunked on a potty an ordered to do some business. Add to that, they discover big people seem to attach special meaning to the word "NO!"

K.C. dips and dunks. Ergo, I paint the fence while she's elsewhere engaged. I'm no dummy!

Nor is K.C. She spots the wonderful pristine whiteness of the fence the instant she arrives home in the afternoon. K.C. misses nothing. Pick a drowned housefly out of the wading pool and immediately she goes looking for it. Move a ball off the step where it might break someone's neck; she'll find it and put it back. Then she'll move it herself, thank you very much. It's not for others to do tasks for which she has assumed responsibility, especially tasks involving objects she owns.

She walks the length of the fence, running her hands over it here and there, pausing to check out this or that bump in the wood and nails hammered not quite flush. She points out each such nail to me because she knows they're amiss and she knows "Pa" fixes things. 

I get the hammer and do my job. K.C. helps, though she needs both hands and a lot of body language to wield the hammer. In no time, the job is done to her satisfaction. The paint job will need some touch-ups, many touch-ups.

I'm sweating in the sun. Cannily, I've laid out Blue's Clues and Huckle Cat sticker books on the patio table. I like the idea of sitting comfortably in the shade of the umbrella helping her fill her books, a pleasant sedentary activity, precisely my style. 

The sticker book fails to lure her away from the fence. She takes offense that I'd inadvertently painted over a slow spider. I assure her the spider is just sleeping and will be up and about before the next day. This seems to placate her but I make a mental note to scrape it off later because she'll surely check the spot before daycare in the morning……. 

The story in its entirety may be read at:
http://AMontague.homestead.com/fence.html

Art and Joanne sign marriage  register at the Casuarinas Hotel,  Nassau, Bahamas, May 17, 1996	K.C. (2 1/2 yrs.) surveys her domain

Note: You may distribute this Newsletter. Feel free to post it to your website or BBS if you like. However no part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without keeping the links within this newsletter active.

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HEAD HOPPING by Linda Adams POV, or Point of View, is one of the most confusing writing skills to learn. Many writers, when told they are shifting POV or "head hopping," have a difficult time understanding exactly what they're doing. Head hopping occurs when you describe what more than one character is thinking in a scene. You tell us Mary is thinking about what she is planning to do, and then you tell us what George is thinking about Mary. This often results because the writer wants to convey information he feels the reader needs to know and cannot be provided from just one viewpoint.  So how do you prevent head hopping? First, give your reader credit--you probably don't need to tell her everything.

Now think about your relationship with a family member or a friend. For example, you have no idea what your spouse is thinking. But you might assume certain things because of something said, body language, or facial expressions. Your character can make similar assumptions--and even get them wrong, which makes for great conflict.

But the story may still require you to switch POV. To avoid jarring the reader, start a new scene or a new chapter. Once within that scene, stay focused on one character and what he sees, hears, and feels, as well as what he notices about the other characters. Not only will you find yourself doing less head hopping, you'll also be doing more character development and crafting a better story.

© Linda Adams - Photo by Sears-Roebuck

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(i) WritersMarket.com

We have received some very important and most welcome information about WritersMarket.com from Barb Kuroff, Editorial Director of Writer's Digest Annual Books.

To my enquiry about newspaper markets on WritersMarket.com (I'm a subscriber), Barb replied:

"We do not currently list newspapers on WritersMarket.com. However, we ARE currently adding a comprehensive listing of newspapers (a whole new section) that will launch early in August, 2002. You will be able to access that information with the other listings on WritersMarket.com at no additional charge."

Then I had another note from Barb, letting me know that WritersMarket.com will also be adding the market category Online Markets. This too will be launched in August. 

Great news!

(ii) New Caribbean news magazine

Writer Bill Stephens from London, Ontario, submitted this market tip. Some of our Bahamian writers (and those writers calling the Bahamas their home) might find this worth following up:-

Bill says he read that a new quarterly Caribbean news magazine is seeking freelance writers from the Caribbean or with Caribbean interests to write news features. They are also interested in articles about U.S. issues impacting Caribbean nationals. 

Pay - usually $50 per article and stories used as lead articles will earn $100. "Non-exclusive publishing rights". 

Response time to queries or submissions - 2 weeks or more. 

You can email queries and articles to Globalmediainc@hotmail.com (I sent a query to them a couple of days ago).

We appreciate Bill keeping Bahamian writers in mind when he spots these markets. Bill's web site is http://members.tripod.com/hiredpen0/index.htm and you can email him at http://members.tripod.com/hiredpen0/index.htm

(iii) More on Corporate & Incentive Travel and Insurance Meetings Management

I think they may still need travel writers for destination reports on Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Midwest and Puerto Rico (also, I believe Canada may be included now). 

Mike Murphy, Managing Editor, emailed me at the end of April:-

"Do you freelance? Our magazine, C&IT, has a Bahamas story due for October. Here is copy of ad we just ran on TravelWriters.com:

Corporate & Incentive Travel and Insurance Meetings Management are looking for experienced travel writers who can write destination stories from the corporate meeting and incentive travel perspective on the following areas: Bermuda, The Bahamas, the Midwest and Puerto Rico. We can only consider writers who actually reside in these locales. Pay: $400 (covers expenses, which should be limited to phone calls) for 2,200- word features, based on tight story specs, all rights purchased. We are excellent credit, four-color process publications, with high editorial standards and top production values. Looking to establish relationships with reliable and resourceful writers who can handle repeat assignments. See previously published stories on our website at www.corporate-inc-travel.com. We must job these stories soon. Those interested should respond by email with résumés and samples. Send to Mike Murphy, Managing Editor, at ccceditor1@worldnet.att.net." 

I am unfortunately unable to undertake an assignment for them, as their story specs indicate there might be a large amount of research. The project would just not be cost effective for me, especially as there's no guarantee that they would use my story. 

However, as Bill Stephens so rightly mentioned to me in a recent email: 

"This sounds like one you can pass on to your local writing friends. It would be particularly interesting to someone just starting out. 

"The money sounds good, and to a new writer, all that phoning might be fine, to get a published clip. If it were me -- Oh to live in the Bahamas like you -- I might try to negotiate the deal so they covered phone calls. Although, I suspect a lot of information could be garnered by surfing the corporate web sites and/or e-mailing the relevant execs."

(iv) Poetry Magazine

Check out Poetry Magazine. Payment is $2 per line. $50 per page of prose. However, all submissions and inquiries regarding submissions should be by regular mail only (no faxes or emails). Also, no simultaneous submissions. Several prizes and fellowships are awarded annually.

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For those of you disappointed in Poetry.com, don't feel bad; I just received another letter from them, this time saying my poem can appear on CD and cassette tape for $59 or on a plaque for $38! 

Again, tempting, but………! (See warning on WritersWeekly.com about Poetry.com http://www.writersweekly.com/warnings/poetry.html and discussions in the Bahamas Writer Forums at http://www.bahamaswriter.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=57)

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Copyright © 2002 The Bahamas Writer. All rights reserved. You may distribute this Newsletter. Feel free to post it to your website or BBS if you like. However no part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without keeping the links within this newsletter active. *Contributors' submissions must be their own composition. The Bahamas Writer is not responsible for any copyright infringes by contributors.

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