Pat Ritter. Books

[dub]

Hi Pat,
Great to hear all is moving forward as planned, there in Brooloo
The writers group sounds interesting How about finding out, if any members of the Pomona writers group, would be interested in submitting some short stories on mzawf
If you want to set mzawf a challenge to write a short story using the same guidelines you use down at the club, game on !
If it's interesting enough you might want to showcase it down at the Pomona writers club (or not )
Geoffrey Archer includes a short story in one of his books that barely covers half a page.
In his volume of short stories entitled 'To cut a long story short' he says " In my travels around the globe, I came across
' Death Speaks'. I have rarely come across a better example of the simple art of storytelling."

[patritter]

Dear dub, that's a great idea. If you like I'll hook you up to a link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71550. These are free to download. They are a collection of stories I wrote at the writers group and presented them to the members. This writers group is more of a social gathering each week for members who have a united interest in sharing their work. I'm the only member who takes it serious enough to write and publish my work.

They are a wonderful group in that there is no judgement or complaints about any member's story. The facilitator runs the group on a very low key enabling each member to feel comfortable. I love it because it keeps me writing and each Tuesday I have a dead-line to have a story ready for the group. If a member doesn't write a story - it doesn't matter. For instance, this week's topic is: 'You Are As Young As You Feel'. Have a go at that one! No more than 500 words. I'd be interested to read your story. The topic has been chosen by each member at the beginning of the year when we give the facilitator two headings each. He numbered the topics 1 to whatever and each week a member is selected to call out a number and if the story hasn't already been written it is the topic for the week. See how you go Dub! Now to today's post:

I'm just about to hand my grandson back to his mother (Sunday) I need to get back on-track myself with my writing. In a way it's been great to have my grandson and hopefully in the future this will be a lesson he's learned. I know speaking for myself, an event of my father grounding me for six weekends, when I was the same age as my grandson is now, certainly changed my life for the better.

You would no doubt remember I wrote and published 'The Drover' link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95766 late last year. Well, to my astonishment this book has been constantly selling on Amazon, each month sales increased. It is the first time since I started self-publishing e-books I've sold one hundred books in the month. I'm stoked. This is certainly a milestone I always wanted to achieve. Now to reach two hundred per month would be great.

Until now I never realised in my wildest dreams I would be constantly selling this many books per month. Daily I look at the figures and my excitement rises when I see the growth increase from day to day.

Another magnificient feeling is someone is reading my books across the other side of the world. Who would've imagined someone living in the USA purchasing and downloading on their e-reader the book 'The Drover' to read about Harry Williams life in outback Queensland.

More tomorrow.

[patritter]

Today my mind has commenced to 'get back into Bundy Quicksilver character'. By Monday I should be right to recommence his story of being recalled to work with Detective Superintendent Kate Emerson to find the missing twelve year old lad, Peter Clayton.

Much water has flowed beneath the bridge since I stopped writing this story and the mind tends to forget many details. I'll need to read the story and 'catch up' with the characters. Writing is a fulltime occupation with little time off to relax or do other things.

I recall this time last year I became struck with 'The Drover' and needed to do more research to finish the book. It could be me, because when an idea grows in my mind I want to write about it before I lose it.

Yesterday I received the monthly magazine from Queensland Writers Centre. An article 'The Ideas Factory' written by Imogen Smith caught my eye. She wrote about 'where do you get your ideas?'

This is how she explained: It's a difficult question to answer because ideas don't come from any one source or activity. At the same time, they aren't the result of divine inspiration or extraordinary genius.

I agree with her comments. When ideas pop into my head I've either got to remember them or write down the ideas immediately otherwise after a few minutes they've flown out of the window.

More tomorrow.

[dub]

Hi Pat,
'You Are As Young As You Feel'. that immediately evokes many thoughts No more than 500 words
I need some time to get up to speed Day Job and stuff
oh Life, a full-time occupation
Got to go mate,its been a long day, I was up at 02:30 this morning...
Great to hear all is good down in Brooloo and all is chugging on nicely !
Am I as young as I feel ?
'The Gauntlet has been thrown'.

[patritter]

dub, the challenge is on: I've written my story for Tuesday and I'll give you time to write your story. It doesn't have to be done before Tuesday. Let me know when you've done your story - don't post it until I've posted mine and then we can read each other's stories. One rule and it is NOT TO BE JUDGEMENTAL. Now for today's post.

Today is the final day when my grandson completes his schooling whilst he's been here at the farm. It's called the Naplan Test for grade 9. He returns to his parents on Sunday.

Although he's in grade 8 the teacher from the local high school who has helped me with English and Maths also told me to give him this test in preparation for next year. It wouldn't hurt him to give it a go. So we'll see how he goes.

I must say after six weeks of having him with me, he has done most things correctly. I can't imagine what goes on in his brain when he needs to put up with discipline and self-discipline for this time and he's not used to this way of life. He has christened the farm as 'Pop's Prison'.

Hopefully when he returns home his life will be improved. I can only hope so. Like I've mentioned before, it's a pity we haven't got a magic wand to wave over their heads to immediately make the changes. It's a matter of time and patience to see the results. I've got a couple of other things up my sleeve before he goes and I hope my message gets through.

More tomorrow.

[dub]

No pressure then Pat ! Thank heaven for word processors, I had a couple of ideas on genres and how I might like to write my story.
I thought I would first have a brainstorming session and then hopefully will be able to formulate a plan to start my first lines
Any pointers then Pat ? I'm glad Tuesday isn't my deadline, thanks for the concession
From tomorrow I will make sure that I will have a pen and pad to right my ideas down as you suggested in a previous post.

Nice to hear Jackson has kept his sense of humour 'Pop's Prison'
I believe you to be right for Jackson to be thinking ahead on his studies as it will pay him dividends later on in life,
Win, Win
Good Luck Jackson...Pop's Prison

[patritter]

Dub - thank you for your kind comments. Here's hoping Jackson get's back on the right track. I only hope so. Now to the story. These titles are selected at random, so it could mean anything. I tend to let the title mull over in my mind for a couple of days and without any excuses go for it and write what comes from my mind. At times, all makes sense but I try and tell a story within the five hundred words allowed. I look forward to reading your story. Here is the one I've written to present to the group tomorrow:

You are as young as you feel:

Sometimes I feel as though I’m a teenager. An example was falling in love at fifty-six years of age. This definitely made me think I felt like a teenager again.

My wife of thirty-one years lost her fight with cancer and two years later I met and fell in love with another woman who came into my life. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought it possible. I honestly thought I was destined to be a widower for the remainder of my life.

Love made me feel young and alive. In fact before I met this new person I felt my life was sliding quickly down a dark hole. I saw no future with another person. It was tough to go through the process of grief, sorrow and loss of the love of your life.

When this event happened, falling in love again, I mean, my heart swelled so much it almost burst from my chest. This feeling carried me back in years to when I first fell in love with my wife.

Although I was twenty-three years old and she was nineteen, the first time I saw her was ‘love at first sight’. My mother always told me, ‘you’ll know when the right one comes along,’ and her words rung true.

For the following thirty-two years we loved each other very deeply – it hurt to think we’d ever be separated.
Unfortunately life has many bends and turns and at the age of fifty years old she lost her fight with cancer and departed from my life.

Through this period I felt old and haggard, with no motivation toward life and the future. I struggled to keep going. I felt old.

I’m unaware if there is a God however, there must be a higher power more forceful than us human beings. You see, I needed to ‘get out and meet people’ and on one of my weekly visits to the local café on a Friday morning to have coffee; I met this wonderful warm person who recently lost her husband.

Obviously it must have been fate we met because as soon as I saw her face and heard her voice, my mind flashed back to when I first met my wife all those years ago.

At the end of next month will give us seven years together. I honestly feel I could live on forever and I feel young again, not in mid-sixties but more in mid-thirties. I have much to live for and enjoy each moment of the time I have left.
Word count: 435.

Hope you enjoy. Remember this is not a competition only something between you and me.