MEMOIR BLOGGER TALKS TO WRITER, GETS LOST

What’s the difference between successful books and the others? Books that get read and those that just get bought?

 

Empathy. Do you feel it? Does the writer make you feel it? Empathy and suspense, enough suspense to turn the page.

 

I met a writer, which is who I’d expect meet in a writers meeting, and she was a delight.

 

“So,” I started, “You’re a writer?”

 

“That’s the story so far,” she said. ‘That’s the story’ hit my funny bone and threw me off.

 

She’s funny? And a writer?

 

Early I tried the same thing with someone I think was writer.

 

“Hi, you’re a writer?” I said.

 

“Such a day you wouldn’t believe,” she said, not tearing her hair out but looking like she wanted to as she sped by.

 

“Me too,” I said.

 

I was in a side room coffee counter in a downtown building late for a meeting. There’s the coffee, a cookie, and a man came through the door before I could get away. He was tapping a white cane on the floor.

 

“Can I help you get something?” I said.

 

“I’d like a glass of water,” he said.

 

I filled a paper coffee cup half way.

 

“I put a half cup of water in there,” I said.

 

“Go ahead and fill it up,” he said. “I’m not that blind. Man, people do this and I wonder if they even know what it’s like being blind. It’s vision, not motion, or hearing.”

 

I liked this guy.

 

“Hey, the meeting is starting,” I said.

 

He’s an autonomous blind guy I’m giving the special needs treatment to, and he let me know. Fair enough. I would have led the way back out the door and into the aisles, but followed him instead.

 

Hilarity ensued as we navigated the aisle. He had a great sense of humor.

 

To open the meeting, the speaker said, “Instead of telling you all about the usual things, ask your neighbor, ‘What’s the most impressive thing you saw today?'”

 

I turned to my new writing buddy and asked, “What’s the most impressive thing you saw today,” without a thought. Then it struck me.

 

Without missing a beat he said, “Well, I didn’t see a lot. I’m blind.”

 

Staying with the writer theme I asked, “Did you hear anything good?”

 

I noticed the person seated ahead of us listening and smiling. Another writer.

 

After the meeting I talked to her and she stuck around. She said she’s got a novel published and working on the next.

 

I forgot in all the excitement to ask her about her book. I didn’t ask, “What’s the title? What’s it about? Do you have a good editor? Did you go mainstream of self publish?” If I’d had it more together you’d be seeing the front of her book as the top image with a few quotes sprinkled around.

 

To make up for my lapse, Holly, what’s the title of your novel? What’s it about? How are you giving it a push?

 

She was stuck on a part in the new book. To help I told her about the romantic comedy I wrote that wasn’t funny or romantic.

 

Not so much hilarity ensured, but that’s the story. I ended by telling her I was taking a walk down the South Park Blocks to take a few pictures in the late light.